Foodie Beijing (Part 1) - Street Food

One street food not to be missed is the Málàtāng (麻辣汤) or assorted skewers cooked in a chilli broth.
They originate from Sichuan but are a popular street-snack in Beijing.

You will find a crowd of people standing in front of the Malatang vendor at certain times of day.
Grab a plate and point at what you want. By the way, don't worry about the cost . . . last summer they were 1RMB (10 pence) each !


You don't have to be adventurous to eat this delicious street snack either but bear in mind they will be cooked in a dried chilli broth and therefore quite spicy ;-)
Traditional items consist of Kombo, fish-balls, tofu, lotus roots and quail eggs.
For the most adventurous you can have duck or pork blood curd, pig's intestines (in form of a sausage).

When you are done, you present your plate (with the empty skewers!) to the cashier and pay your due.

Another Beijing popular snack is the toffee crab apple or hawberry called Tanghulu.
This is more of a winter snack and much loved by Beijingers of all ages.
They are similar to our toffee apples and coated in hard-candy. Watch your teeth !













Mmmh pig's tripe sausages anyone ?
Don't ask ! LOL





On a nicer note, some traditional beijing biscuits are being prepared. These go in the centre of Jian Bing (A savoury breakfast crepe)