Snack Attack: the Odd Couple That is Chaogan'er and Baozi

The fine folks of Beijing aren’t ones to shy away from a hearty snack, chief among these being snacks featuring offal. And chief among these pork offal offerings is 炒肝儿 chaogan’er.

Although this dish, believed to have its roots in Manchuria, translates to “fried liver”, the liver in the dish isn’t fried, and it’s mixed in with intestine in a thick savory broth. As with douzhi’er, it’s also one of those dishes that locals allegedly like to slurp down without a spoon or chopsticks.

Unlike douzhi’er, which is enjoyed with quan’er – circular fried dough things – chaogan’er is, interestingly enough, taken with baozi. This hearty duo can be enjoyed as a set from most baozi joints, and we ordered from one near Hujialou to try it out.

Opening it up, there’s the immediate smell. It smells like shoes, but not just any shoe – a shoe that’s been used in the gym one too many times.

Smell aside, the flavor isn’t actually that bad. It’s like a really rich soup with intestine and liver inside. A bit rich for breakfast, but not bad as a dinner option, perhaps.

The baozi, on the other hand, are fantastic. They’re not so doughy, with a thin layer of bread and slightly soupy insides that make for a treat to eat.

You can give this dynamic duo a try for breakfast or any other meal at many places around Beijing, but we've picked the following two spots for their proximity to the city center. Plus, the second shop, Tianxingju, has been around for over 100 years, so they know what they're doing.

Yaoji Chaogan Dian 姚记炒肝店 (Gulou Branch)
311 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街311号

Tianxingju 天兴居 (Dongsishitiao Branch)*
168 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东四北大街168号

*multiple locations across Beijing

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Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Dianping