Beijing Snacks: A Casual Chat on the 'Red and Black List'

🗣️Chatting
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I didn’t expect this draft to become so popular :joy:—so let’s polish it up!

This article is primarily based on insights from one of my food-obsessed mentors—a true “gourmet guru” who spends his days eating rather than working… no wonder he’s so robust (pang)!

I’ve also sprinkled in some personal subjective impressions (grounded in the typical spending power of an ordinary university student and the dietary habits of a typical northerner). If anything seems off, feel free to discuss it in the comments!

Major Food Districts

  • Guìjiē (Ghost Street): Known for crayfish and hotpot
  • Hùguó Sì (Huguo Temple): Famous for traditional pastries
  • Niújiē (Ox Street): A historic Muslim quarter renowned for halal snacks and baked goods

Roast Duck

If it’s your first time visiting Beijing, head to Ziguangyuan for roast duck—it’s affordable and generous in portion. Sìmínfú is more upscale (though I haven’t been there yet). Biànyífāng also comes highly recommended (but again—I haven’t tried it myself). As for the “old-school roast duck masters,” I’ll refrain from recommending any—I haven’t sampled enough of them yet, Orz.

Snacks

Various Breads & Pancakes (Shāobǐng, Xiànbǐng, etc.)

  1. Sesame Shāobǐng (Niújiē)

    1. When split open, reveals over 20 delicate layers
    2. No hard dough lumps
    3. Balanced sesame paste ratio

  2. Minced Meat Shāobǐng (Fǎngshàn Restaurant at Beihai Park)

    1. Hollow center left while pan-frying
    2. Pea-and-meat stir-fry added afterward

  3. Screw-Twist Shāobǐng

    1. Laminated with both flaky and standard dough

  4. Horse-Hoof Shāobǐng

    1. Softer texture

  5. Sugar-Flaky Shāobǐng

  6. “Toad Spitting Honey” / Open-Faced Red-Bean Shāobǐng

    1. Generously filled with red-bean paste

  7. Dāliān Huǒshāo (Menkuàng Hutong)

  8. Méndīng Ròubǐng (Door-Nail Meat Pancake)

    1. Shaped like old-fashioned door nails

Other Savory Snacks

  1. Spring Rolls
  2. Spring Pancakes

Sweets & Sugar-Oil Confections

  1. Fried Triangles (Zhá Sānjiǎo) — from Dú Yī Chù

  2. Fried “Turnaround” (Zhá Huítou)

  3. Dūn Bōbō / Sugar-Stick (Táng Dūn) — from Hùguó Sì Xiǎochī: :warning: Poor rating… far too hard!

  4. Qiē Gāo (Sticky Rice Cake) — Decent, nothing extraordinary

  5. Dòu Miàn Gāo / Lǘ Dǎ Gǔn (Donkey-Rolling) — Delicious!

    1. Glutinous rice flour kneaded with hot water into soft dough
    2. Rolled in ground adzuki bean powder

  6. Ài Wōwō — Delicious!

    1. Glutinous rice dough wrapped around sweet fillings

  7. Wǎn Gāo (Bowl Cake)

  8. Pén Gāo (Basin Cake)

  9. Yuánxiāo (Glutinous Rice Balls)

    1. Fried yuánxiāo: fry briefly, then gently tap to release steam
    2. Stir-fried yuánxiāo

  10. Xiǎo Wōtóu (Mini Cornbread) — Fǎngshàn Restaurant

  11. Yín Sī Juǎn (Silver-Thread Rolls)

  12. Zhá Juǎnguǒ (Fried “Roll-Fruit”) — from Hùguó Sì Xiǎochī: :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Odd taste — average rating

  13. Nǎiyóu Zhá Gāo (Cream-Fried Cake) — from Hùguó Sì Xiǎochī: Delicious!

  14. Sǎnzi Mánhua (Fried Twists & Crullers)

  15. Cuì Mánhua (Crispy Crullers)

  16. Mì Mánhua (Honey-Glazed Crullers)

  17. Táng Ěrduo (Honey-Ear Pastry)

  18. Shānzhā Gāo (Hawthorn Cake) — from Hùguó Sì: Delicious!

  19. Bīngtáng Húlu (Candied Hawthorn on a Stick) — ubiquitous, and delicious!

  20. Wāndòu Huáng (Yellow Pea Cake) — from Hùguó Sì and Niújiē: Delicious!

  21. Skinned yellow peas boiled down into a smooth paste

  22. Sieved for fine texture

  23. Xiǎo Dòu Liáng Gāo (Adzuki Bean Cool Cake) — Haven’t tried

  24. Xìngrén Dòufu (Almond Tofu) — from Hùguó Sì: Delicious!

  25. Guǒzǐ Gān (Dried Fruit & Jujube Mix) — Widely available; average

  26. Shìbǐngzi (Dried Persimmon) — Widely available; average

  27. Lóngxū Bǐng (Dragon-Beard Pancake) — Haven’t tried, but Xinjiang’s Lóngxū Sū (Dragon-Beard Pastry) is amazing!

  28. Yún Dòu Juǎn (Cloud-Bean Roll) — Fǎngshàn Restaurant: Haven’t tried

  29. Lǔ Zhá Dòufu (Braised & Fried Tofu) — Haven’t tried

  30. Nǎilào (Milk Curd) — from Nǎilào Wèi: Delicious!

  31. Firm enough to hold its shape when unmolded from the bowl

  32. Nǎijuǎn (Milk Roll) & Lào Gān (Dried Milk Curd) — from Hùguó Sì: Delicious!

  33. Chǎo Hóngguǒ (Stir-Fried Hawthorn) — from Hùguó Sì: Delicious!

Everyday Staples

  1. Hē Jiāng (Soybean Slurry Drink) — Haven’t tried

  2. Jiāoquān (Deep-Fried Dough Rings) — :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Odd flavor — average rating

  3. Kāikǒu Xiào (Smiling-Face Pastry) — Haven’t tried

  4. Dòufuhuā (Silken Tofu Pudding) — Northern-style salty versions are fairly uniform

    1. Just steam glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) tofu
    2. Or use firm tofu

  5. Kǒumó Diào Tāng (Mushroom-Broth Soup) — Haven’t tried

    1. Add ~3 dried kǒumó (wood ear mushrooms) to pot
    2. Soak mushrooms first (the soaking water can be used for stir-fries)
    3. Slice mushrooms, add soy sauce, scallions, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns (use sparingly!)
    4. After simmering, thicken with ample starch and minimal water, then slowly stir in beaten egg

  6. Dòuzhī (Fermented Mung Bean Broth) — from Cíqìkǒu, Jǐnfāng Dòuzhī, or Hùguó Sì branch: :cross_mark: Please don’t try it :nauseated_face:

    1. Made from fermented byproducts of mung bean starch production (mainly mung bean skins)
    2. Served piping hot
    3. Best enjoyed alongside pickles—especially Beijing-style spicy pickles (Běijīng Làcài) or Jiāoquān—that’s the authentic local way!

  7. Jiāngzhī Pāichā (Ginger-Flavored Fried Crackers) — Niújiē: Haven’t tried

  8. Chá Tāng (Tea Soup) — from Chá Tāng Lǐ: Haven’t tried

    1. Made from broomcorn millet flour (mízi fěn)
    2. The key lies in proper mixing technique

  9. Miàn Chá (Millet Porridge) — from Hùguó Sì: Delicious!

    1. Drink it by rotating the bowl
    2. Made from millet flour?

  10. Bāozi (Steamed Buns) — Qìngfēng Bāozi Pù or Xīsì Bāozi Pù: Delicious!

  11. Shāomài (Open-Topped Dumplings)

    1. Dú Yī Chù (120 pleats!) — Haven’t tried
    2. Ānnèi Lǎo Mǎ Shāomài — Delicious!

  12. Hún Dun Hóu (Wonton Master) — Not great; inferior to wontons from Nanxiāngcūn, a Beijing fast-food chain

  13. Guàn Cháng (Starch-and-Flour Sausage) — Not tasty!

    1. Brands like Fēngnián Guàncháng and Yā’ér Lǐ Jì
    2. Pan-fried in lard

  14. Chǎo Gēda (Stir-Fried Dough Dumplings) — Haven’t tried

  15. Jiècài Dūn (Pickled Mustard Root) — Haven’t tried

  16. Chǎo Má Dòufu (Stir-Fried Fermented Soybean Paste) — Haven’t tried

    1. Simmer dòuzhī continuously
    2. Stir-fry with lamb tail fat

  17. Zhá Gézhā Hé (Fried “Gezha” Squares) — Haven’t tried

  18. Dòu Miàn (Soybean Flour) — Haven’t tried

  19. Suānméi Tāng (Sour Plum Drink)

    1. Traditional version: made at Liúlíchǎng’s Chǎngdiàn fair—plums soaked in water; haven’t tasted it
    2. I’ve tried Xìnyuǎn Zhāi’s bottled version—decent, but most commercial versions have heavily simplified recipes. See details here

  20. Qiūlí Gāo (Pear-Honey Lozenge) — from Tōngsānyì: Haven’t tried

Traditional Pastry Shops

  1. Classic Manchu Pastry Houses

    1. Zhèngmíng Zhāi
    2. Fùhuá Zhāi (north of Hùguó Sì’s east temple)
    3. Southern-Style Pastry Shops
    4. Dàoxiāngcūn / Dàoxiāngchūn / Guìxiāngcūn / Guìxiāngchūn (Guìxiāngchūn is counterfeit—the others are authentic)
    5. Halal Pastry Shops
    6. Dàshùn Zhāi (Tōngzhōu District)

  2. Modern/Newer Brands

    1. Bǎinián Yìlì (Tastes decent—and especially budget-friendly!)
    2. Lìfāyuán

  3. Táng Huǒshāo (Sugar-Filled Baked Buns)

Types of Pastries

  1. Baked Goods

  2. Oil-Flaky Pastries

    1. Walnut Crisp (Hétáo Sū)

  3. Slurry-Skin Pastries

    1. Tíjiāng Yuèbǐng (Traditional Mooncakes)

  4. Flaky-Skin Pastries

    1. Jīng Bā Jiàn (“Eight Delicacies of Beijing”) — Tried Hùguó Sì’s version: overall decent, though overly sweet
    2. Tángchún Bǎiguǒ (Sugar-Alcohol Mixed-Fruit Pastry) — Dàoxiāngcūn
    3. Niúshé Bǐng (Ox-Tongue Pastry)
    4. Hēi Má Jiāoyán (Black Sesame & Salt Pastry)
    5. Hétáo Bócuì (Walnut Thin-Crisp)
    6. Yīpǐn Shāobǐng (First-Rank Baked Bun)
    7. Májiàng Sūtiáo (Sesame-Paste Flaky Strips)

  5. Mixed-Sugar Pastries

    1. Shānzhā Guōkuī (Hawthorn Pancake)
    2. Zǎoní Sū (Date-Paste Flaky Pastry)
    3. Zhuàngyuán Bǐng (Scholar-Exam Pastry)
    4. Xiǎo Dòu Bāo (Adzuki Bean Bun)
    5. Lìróng Sū (Chestnut-Paste Flaky Pastry)
    6. Zǎoní Kuài (Date-Paste Block)

  6. Hard-Crust Pastries

    1. Zìláihóng / Zìláibái (Self-Red / Self-White Pastry)
    2. Shānzhā Sūbǐng (Hawthorn Flaky Pastry)

  7. Fried Pastries

    1. Bái / Hóng Sāqímǎ (White / Red Sesame Candy)
      1. Egg-based dough, no water
      2. Sugar syrup made from white sugar + maltose
    2. Jiāngmǐ Tiáo (Glutinous Rice Strips)
    3. Mì Gòng (Honey-Stack Pastry)
    4. Mì Sāndāo (Three-Cut Honey Pastry)

  8. Steamed Pastries

    1. Guìhuā Jiāshā (Osmanthus-Red-Bean Pastry)

  9. Others

    1. Bái / Hēi Má Bǐng (White / Black Sesame Pastry)
    2. Guìhuā Gānglú (Osmanthus Oven-Baked Pastry) — Dàoxiāngcūn (reportedly beneficial for post-morning-sickness recovery in pregnancy)
    3. Táng Huǒshāo: Soft version from Běijīng Dàshùn Zhāi; hard version from Tiānjīn Guìshùn Zhāi
    4. Májiàng Hóngtáng — Use plenty of sesame paste and brown sugar