Lao Beijing Snacks: Skinny, Stringy Foods
These foods only have two things in common - they are stringy, and Beijingers love to snack on them. They range the gamut from chewy noodles to crunchy donuts, from snappy intestines to toothache-inducing sweets. They are to be found everywhere, and tanghulu in particular is a beloved snack during the cold season. Keep an eye out for these treats.
PHYLUM: Anytime (folk) ORDER: Boiled, stir-fried GENUS: Salty, warm or cold
SPECIES: zhajiang mian (炸酱面 noodles with bean paste)
Identifying marks: Long white noodles topped with julienned raw vegetables (cucumber, radish, bean sprouts, etc). Topped with an oily dark- brown paste.
Behavior: Ingredients are mixed together vigorously at the table. Noodles should be freshly hand-pulled and chewy, the vegetables crisp, the sauce fragrant.
Field notes: Zhajiang means “fried sauce,” and refers to the stir-fried soybean pastes (mainly dou jiang 豆酱 and tianmian jiang 甜面酱). The sauce quality varies greatly. Also called xiaowan ganzha（小碗干炸), or “fried sauce in small bowl.”
Habitat: Found in many restaurants and smaller snack shops serving Beijing fare. Two chains serving the best are Hai Wan Ju（海碗居）and Siji Minfu（四季民福）.
PHYLUM: Snack (folk) ORDER: Candy GENUS: Sweet, cool
SPECIES: tanghulu (糖葫芦 candied fruit)
Identifying marks: Colorful sections of fruit skewered on a stick (traditionally hawberry, now also pineapples, oranges and kiwi). Enased in transparent caramelized sugar.
Behavior: Brittle on the outside, soft on the inside. Like a candied apple, only the coating is all crunch, not caramel, and the fruit varies. Sticks to the teeth.
Field notes: Haw is the best flavor, as the fruit’s tartness balances the pure sugar.
Habitat: Ubiquitous in the fall and winter, from the Wangfujing night market to the local xiaomaibu.
PHYLUM: Anytime (folk) ORDER: Boiled GENUS: Salty, very hot
SPECIES: baodu (爆肚 tripe)
Identifying marks: Finger-length to foot-long strips. Color ranges from white to brown to dark grey. Texture ranges from smooth to nubby to honeycombed.
Behavior: Interesting on the teeth and tongue, as tripe can be tender, chewy or even slightly crisp. Tasteless alone, so always drowned in luscious sesame sauce.
Field notes: Flash-boiling is key to achieving the ideal texture. If overcooked, tripe becomes tough and rubbery. Can be from different parts of the intestine, most common is niubaiye（牛百叶）
Habitat: Small stalls often specialize in this dish. Famous laozihaos include Dong Xing Shun Baodu Zhang (东兴顺爆肚张)，Baodu Feng (爆肚冯)，Baodu Jinshenglong (爆肚金生隆)
PHYLUM: Lunch (folk) ORDER: Braised GENUS: Salty, very hot
SPECIES: luzhu huoshao (卤煮火烧 pig intestine soup)
Identifying marks: Giant vat of simmering brown soup, filled with pork intestine and lung. Topped with layers of broth-soaked huoshao (a dense wheat biscuit). Strong smell of soy sauce and herbs.
Behavior: A bit of everything is fished out, chopped up, and tossed into a bowl with a ladle of broth.
Field notes: The huoshao is said to be an accidental addition – one fell into a vat overnight, and the soaked biscuit was delicious. This is the folk version of an imperial pork stew; commoners substituted cheap offal for pork belly.
Habitat: There are several laozihao famous for this dish, the most authentic being Chenji Luzhu Xiaochang(陈记卤煮小肠) and Beixinqiao Luzhu Laodian（北新桥卤煮老店). The most famous (but not necessary the best) is Xiaochang Chen (小肠陈).
PHYLUM: Snack (folk) ORDER: Deep-fried GENUS: Sweet, room temperature
SPECIES: mahua (麻花 deep-fried sweet fritter)
Identifying marks: Long strands of dark brown dough, twisted like a skein, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Usually 6-8 inches long, but giant two-foot-long versions have been spotted.
Behavior: Hard and crunchy, yet flaky. Flavored with brown sugar and osmanthus. Often accompanied by almond tea or soymilk.
Field notes:One of the traditional “coldfoods” eaten before the Qingming (“tomb sweeping”) Festival, when the use of fire was forbidden by imperial decree.
Habitat: All snack shops and bakeries, some street carts fry them fresh.
