My Top 7 Foods in China…so far

Here is a look at 7 of my favorite meals in Beijing so far:

Chinese hotpot!  Simply one of the best ways to bond with new friends in China, which you can see in this pic from my first week in Beijing.  Collectively, the table orders a variety of uncooked meats, vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes, dumplings, etc and cooks them in a large pot at the center of the table.  The experience makes for great conversation and gives the opportunity to sample lots of different delicious foods.  After cooking my meats, I love to dip them in the brown colored sauce (seen in the white bowl) which has a peanut butter-like flavor.  So delicious!

My favorite breakfast food (honestly, anytime food) – Baozi! At almost any convenience store you can easily find baozi, which are these delicious white buns filled with meat or vegetables.  I typically like to order mine with Zhu Rou, or Da Rou, which are various ways of preparing pork.  Eating a nice warm and moist baozi can be a great (and cheap) way to start your day or have a snack.  I will 100% have to import these to the US when I return home.

Beijingers are generally known to eat a lot of noodles with their food, which I absolutely love!  These soupy noodles have a fantastic combination of greens with a spicy, peppery sauce.  I could be happy eating these noodles for days.

Because Beijing food delivery closes so early (usually before midnight), and because of the Chinese inclination toward family style eating, it is not surprising that my friends and I have already explored McDonalds in China, which is open late and where you can conveniently order your own food.  This is the Chinese Big Mac, which, as far as I can tell, is pretty much the same as the Big Macs we are used to in the States (although I’m convinced the special sauce has been tweaked slightly).  It is not uncommon for fast food restaurants to alter their recipes and meals to cater to the Chinese consumer, but this is one distinctly American treat I can count on to be the same as back home.

This is a bowl of spicy noodles in broth offered at the dining hall across the street from my dorm.  On a cold day, I love ordering these noodles that make me feel nice and warm.  For a great price, these noodles taste great and will leave you feeling full.

While you can purchase egg waffle ice cream in the States, my first time having this Asian-style treat was here in Beijing in an traditional style neighborhood called Nan Luo Gu Xiang.  This particular vanilla ice cream was topped with mango and an Oreo and was absolutely delicious.  10/10 would recommend!

One of my favorite parts about studying with CET is that every Friday after class, our professors take the class out for lunch to a different restaurant each week.  This picture is from our class lunch at a restaurant that specializes in Sichuan style food, which is a style of Chinese food that is known to be very spicy.  This was my absolute favorite class lunch because the food was incredible – from spicy tofu to salty green beans to sweet glazed pork, every dish was mouth wateringly good.

 

Coming next – 7 of the most intriguing foods I’ve seen in China!