Beijing, China's capital and one of the great travel destinations of the World, offers a variety of food which is ready to cater to almost every possible appetite. Beijing cuisine enjoys international fame for the variety of dishes developed in the imperial kitchens of several dynasties. It is one of the eight most famous regional cuisines in China, not only features dishes made from the imperial recipes, but also recipes invented by private chefs hired to work in the residences of high-ranking officials at the imperial courts. It has the world famous Beijing Roast Duck, the extremely tasty Tan's Imperial Cuisine, the special Beijing Hot Pot, the delicate Beijing Refreshments, etc. Top China Travel has listed some famous restaurant in Beijing for your reference, hence, you can have a good choice for your meals during your Beijing Tours.
Beijing Roast Duck
Beijing Roast Duck, none is more universally renowned than the roasted duck named for the city. Esteemed by gourmets for its mouth-watering aroma, tempting appearance and delicate taste, there are secrets in the cooking, skill in the preparation and serving and delight in the tasting. The crispy skin and the juicy meat leave a deep impression on first-time consumers during their Beijing trip; and the essence of this dish is the skin, so there are special techniques to serving and eating the crisp skin for maximum enjoyment.
This dish originated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (A.D.420－A.D.589). During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206—A.D.1368) roasted duck was served in the palace for the emperors. During the Ming Dynasty, the roasted duck cuisine developed fully and took an important place on imperial court menus. With the passing of time, Beijing roasted duck entered into the international cuisine, its unique and delicious taste favoured foreign tourists as well as by Chinese people.
Tan Imperial Cuisine
Tan Imperial Cuisine is one of the latter that have been well preserved. It came from Tan Zongjun and his son who were both government officials in the late Qing Dynasty. It has won high praises because: its taste is moderate and therefore, fits the palates of the south and the north; and it emphasizes original flavour and original ingredients so little seasoning is used.
It does not have the strong and intense sour flavors of Guizhou province; the boldness of Hunan's chili peppers; the lip numbing effect of Sichuan peppercorn; nor the earthy pickles of Hakka cuisine. The cooking idea that lies in Tan's dishes is cookery without boundaries. Old chicken, old duck, pork bone, ham and scallops which have cooked for many hours to make a pot of rich creamy broth are the essence of this cuisine. The food of this cuisine is soft and easy to digest. The usual cooking methods for these dishes are stewing, steaming and braising. These cooking processes make the dishes more suitable and healthy for the diners.
Hot Pot
Hot Pot is a Winter specialty in the north of China. Cooked in water or soup in pots made of copper, aluminium or clay are usually such food as lamb, beef, fish, shrimps, beancurd products and fresh vegetables. In Beijing, the most popular is the lamb hot pot. Paper-thin lamb slices could be instantly luscious right after dipping into the hot soup in the pot.
Hot Pot has been around more than 1,000 years in China. The prosperous time of this food was around Tang Dynasty. And in Qing Dynasty, this cooking style had been spread throughout China. A variety of sauces, usually home-made, is available to go with the hot pot. Common ingredients to mix a sauce may include sesame sauce, sesame oil, soy bean sauce, chilly oil, coriander, rice wine, preserved beancurd sauce and sweet garlic. A good blend of sauces would make a hot pot meal more enjoyable.
Refreshments
Like food in Beijing, the city's pastry is also the product that has absorbed the influences of refreshments from many other regions in China. Some refreshments are meant for particular holidays in tradition, such as moon cakes, which is a sweet snack for the Moon Festival, a holiday Chinese celebrating the family's reunion in mid-autumn every year.
Beijing refreshments are wrapped into a set of eight large or small packages when they are taken as a present. In these eight packages, hawthorn, roses, plums, sugar, bean paste, jujube paste, salt pepper and raisins are made as stuffing of the refreshments. The elaborate and various appearances will catch your eyes at once. And the high qualities will make you eat one by one without hesitation in a short time, so take care, the weight-conscious.
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More information about food in Beijing please click: Beijing Food
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Highly recommended tour in Beijing: 4 Days Best Beijing Tour
(Attractions: Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall, Changling Tomb)
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