Peking duck is the city's best known dish, but Beijing cuisine offers a much wider range. A useful first tasting combines a ceremonial dish with noodles, breads, small snacks and sweets that belong to the everyday rhythm of the streets.
1. Peking duck. Roast duck is sliced thinly and served with delicate pancakes, sauce and vegetables. Traditional restaurants use either an open or a closed oven.
2. Zhajiangmian. Wheat noodles are accompanied by a thick sauce made from fermented soybean paste and sliced vegetables. This filling dish is mixed immediately before eating.
3. Mutton hotpot in a copper pot. Thin slices of meat are briefly cooked in hot broth and dipped in sesame sauce. Sharing the meal is as important as the main ingredient.
4. Beijing style grilled meat. Beef or mutton is cooked on a hot metal surface with vegetables and seasoning. Traditional restaurants continue old urban grilling techniques.
5. Huguosi baozi. Steamed filled buns belong to a broad family of halal snacks associated with Huguosi Street and its local food businesses.
6. Jiaoquan. Crisp fried rings of dough are served alone or with douzhi. The contrast between the crisp food and the liquid drink is characteristic of the combination.
7. Douzhi. This fermented mung bean drink has a distinctly sour taste. It is one of old Beijing's most characteristic specialities, but can be more challenging for visitors than ordinary sweet drinks.
8. Ludagun. Soft rice rolls with a bean filling are coated in soybean flour. The name is traditionally translated as a donkey rolling in dust.
9. Tanghulu. Fruit on a skewer is covered by a thin brittle layer of sugar. Hawthorn berries are the classic winter version, although strawberries and citrus fruit are also used today.
10. Beijing yoghurt. Thick, slightly sweet yoghurt is traditionally sold in small ceramic jars. Modern shops offer many versions, but the simplest form best reveals its original character.
Not all these dishes are ordinary street food, and there is no need to find them in one place. Duck and copper pot hotpot suit a restaurant meal, while tanghulu, yoghurt and small pastries work well as a short stop during a walk.
