They opened their own restaurants or were hired by wealthy locals. When these officials had completed their terms in the capital and returned to their native provinces, most of the chefs they brought along often remained in Beijing. Huaiyang cuisine has been praised since ancient times in China and it was a general practice for an official travelling to Beijing to take up a new post to bring along with him a chef specialising in Huaiyang cuisine.
Many dishes in Beijing cuisine that are served as main courses are derived from a variety of Chinese Halal foods, particularly lamb and beef dishes, as well as from Huaiyang cuisine. There is less emphasis on rice as an accompaniment as compared to many other regions in China, as local rice production in Beijing is limited by the relatively dry climate. In terms of cooking techniques, methods relating to different ways of frying are often used. There is emphasis on dark soy paste, sesame paste, sesame oil and scallions, and fermented tofu is often served as a condiment. However, some generalisation of Beijing cuisine can be characterised as follows: Foods that originated in Beijing are often snacks rather than main courses, and they are typically sold by small shops or street vendors. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to determine the actual origin of a dish as the term "Mandarin" is generalised and refers not only to Beijing, but other provinces as well. Īnother tradition that influenced Beijing cuisine (as well as influenced by the latter itself) is the Chinese imperial cuisine that originated from the "Emperor's Kitchen" ( 御膳房 yùshànfáng), which referred to the cooking facilities inside the Forbidden City, where thousands of cooks from different parts of China showed their best culinary skills to please the imperial family and officials. Beijing cuisine has itself, in turn, also greatly influenced other Chinese cuisines, particularly the cuisine of Liaoning, the Chinese imperial cuisine and the Chinese aristocrat cuisine. 4 Restaurants known for Beijing cuisineĪs Beijing has been the capital of China for centuries, its cuisine is influenced by culinary traditions from all over China, but the style that has the greatest influence on Beijing cuisine is that of the eastern coastal province of Shandong.3.3 Noodles (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian).
And alongside solid options for Thai, dim sum, and Peking duck, two new restaurants specifically offer takes on comforting, home-spun classics (the Hunan-focused Southern Fish and Mama de Weidao, which literally translates to "mom's taste. Chinese- and European influences mingle inside the charcuterie and bagel cases of Traitor Zhou's Nonkosher Delicatessen, a hotly anticipated chef partnership that already has a second location in the works. Beijing now has some great tastes and a booming appetite that will leave you licking your chops (and chopsticks)."Ĭhou shares her picks for the buzziest restaurants in the city: Italian food is having a rare moment in Beijing, with Neapolitan-style pizza and calzones arriving courtesy the brothers behind Bottega Fratelli Salvo meanwhile, chef Omar Maseroli (of Mercante) dishes out handmade pastas at the romantic Fiume. "Because there's no established history, the sky's the limit with innovative and mouth-tingling options that are causing a minor revolution. "The slow influx of capitalism is now a gushing river, and China's capital is catching up with the rest of the world at record speed," Chou says. According to freelance food writer/former Gourmet editor Lillian Chou, it's "hard to imagine" that Beijing's first private post-Communism restaurant opened as recently as 1980. For the first time ever, Eater turns its Heatmapping spotlight to Beijing, China, to discover the hottest drinking and dining options the city has to offer.