5 Must-Eat Dishes in Beijing
Photos by Anna Mindess
Between excursions scaling the sinuous Great Wall, admiring the grandeur of the Forbidden City and exploring Beijing’s quaint hutong alleyways, you’re bound to get hungry. China’s capital naturally hosts restaurants representing the nation’s diverse regional cuisines. You can find fiery Szechuan dishes, delicate Cantonese dim sum, Shanghainese seafood and so much more, but don’t forget to sample Beijing’s own specialties:
1. Beijing Yogurt
With all Beijing’s magnificence, you may be surprised to discover one of its special treasures comes in chubby white jars, crowned by paper labels affixed by rubber bands, accompanied by a straw. Beijing’s signature yogurt is sip-able refreshment, widely sold by street side vendors. The fermented milk drink has a tangy hint of sweetness. The classic ceramic jars must be returned to the vendor, but newer disposable plastic jars can be taken away.
2. Peking Duck 
Beijing’s most iconic dish, Peking duck, is not just a meal; it’s a ritual. Served exclusively to royalty for 600 hundred years, the dish is now available to the masses at dozens of renowned restaurants. Watch as chefs deftly carve the specially prepared ducks, separating shiny mahogany skin from juicy meat. You will receive a tray arrayed with condiments. First, dip morsels of the crispy, brown skin into a petite pile of sugar. As thin, steamed pancakes arrive, the server demonstrates how to fold these up into bite-size packets of duck and sweet bean sauce, with scallions, cucumber, pickles or garlic—which can then be eaten by hand. (Recommendation for the best Peking duck in Beijing = Siji Minfu Restaurant, No.32 Dengshikou West Street, Dongcheng district—The wait for a table will be well worth it.)
3. Hotpot
If you love DIY dinners, head to a hotpot (pictured at top) spot where you can cook your own meal, combining your favorite meats, vegetables and sauces. A pot of broth is placed in the center of your table and heated. The metal vessel is often divided in two sections so you can have both spicy and non-spicy options.
You’ll order from a long list of ingredients, such as paper-thin slices of raw beef, pork or lamb, which are rolled up and attractively arrayed on platters. Other options include fish balls, prawns, a variety of mushrooms, greens such as bok choy, and napa cabbage, beans, bean sprouts, tofu and cellophane noodles.
Zha jiang mian, hand-pulled wheat noodles, are tossed with a thick, fermented, soybean and pork sauce and enlivened with an array of crunchy accompaniments, such as thinly sliced watermelon radish, green onions and cucumbers, fresh soybeans and bean sprouts. This beloved dish of comfort food will bring sighs of pleasure from Beijingers as it reminds many of their childhood.
During the cooler months (from October through April) you’ll find street corners festooned with long bamboo sticks threaded with shiny red fruit that resemble tiny apples. These fruit are from the Chinese hawthorn bush and early versions of this treat trace back to Song Dynasty (960-1279). Several hundred years later, it became a nationwide traditional snack.