Got A Sweet Tooth? Try Beijing’s Traditional Desserts

Got A Sweet Tooth? Try Beijing’s Traditional Desserts
By Rebecca Valli , eChinacities.com

While in the West dessert is a reward that comes after having indulged in a proper meal, most Chinese restaurants do not offer the option of that little something to top the dining experience. Dessert here is a thing by itself, whether it is sold on a street corner, or in a snack shop; it stands alone and is mostly consumed separately from the main meal. Though chocolate brownies and apple pies are picking up in the city, Beijing is full of traditional sweet delicacies. Their taste is in some cases radically different from what a Western palate recognises as dessert, but the imperative is to be adventurous, and try and find the one that fits. Here is a short list of some delicious Beijing tiandian that can be yours for just a few kuai.

1) Tanghulu 糖葫芦
In the long and trying Beijing winter, this sugar coated fruit on a bamboo stick is indispensable. The original recipe is with shanzha, or Chinese hawthorn, dipped in sugar syrup. But with time the choice has widened: you can now order lots of different fruits (such as banana, strawberry, grape etc), and choose chocolate dip or sesame sprinkles. During the cold season, tanghulu vendors can be found pulling their carts on virtually every corner. Sales reach the peak during the New Year holiday, when they are sold in most of the temple fairs and are believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the coming year.

Best place to find tanghulu
Wangfujing Night Market 王府井夜市 (next to the fried scorpion kebabs)View In Map
Add: Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址:北京市东城区王府井大街
Tel: 010 6512 6677

2) Wan dou huang 豌豆黄
Allegedly a favorite of Empress Cixi, it's a yellowish pea flower cake sold mainly during the spring, when the white peas start to be harvested. Peas and water are stirred in a paste, to be fried with lots of sugar, and then cut in rhombohedra shaped pieces. The result is a smooth texture that melts in your mouth.

Best place to find wan dou huang:
Lao Beijing Zhajiangmian 老北京炸酱面View In Map
A cheap restaurant for all things Beijing; offers a wide selection of sweets
Add: 29 Chongwenmenwai Dajie, Chongwen District, Beijing
地址:北京市崇文区崇文门外大街29号
Tel: 010 6705 6705
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00

3) Nian Gao 年糕
Because of the word's homophony with 年高 “high year", it is considered good luck to eat this glutinous rice cake during the New Year week. Steamed for up to seven hours before being served, it’s sweet but quite bland, and is often served with a fruit paste or jam (plum jam being the standard.)

Best place to find nian gao:
Huguosi Snacks Restaurant护国寺小吃店View In Map
Add: 93 Huguosi Jie, Xicheng District, Beijing
地址:北京市西城区护国寺93号
Tel: 010 6618 1705
Opening hours: 05:00-21:00

4) Beijing Yogurt 老北京酸奶罐
The iconic paper topped clay jar alone deserves a place in this list. Packaging apart, Beijing yogurt offers great refreshment during the summer—it is sweet and soothing and must be drank through a straw while strolling the city's hutongs. Reserve a place in your fridge to save these yogurt jars: empty, they will make for perfect flower vases, pen holders, or gifts for people you can’t afford to spend money on.

Best place to find Beijing yogurt
Wenyu Nailao文宇奶酪店 (Popular, so expect long queues)View In Map
Add: 49 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址:北京市东城区南锣鼓巷49号
Tel: 010 6405 7621
Opening hours: 11:00-out of sale

5) Aiwowo 艾窝窝
A traditional Beijing Muslim delicacy, it's a ball-shaped sweet made from glutinous rice and sprinkled with sesame and walnut seeds. The history of this dessert can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, but disagreement remains over where it was first assembled together. Some say the recipe was first invented in Beijing; some say it was brought in the city from Xinjiang; monks in Hong Kong will swear blind it’s from an ancient Cantonese recipe. What's certain is that aiwowo has established itself in the eyes of the Beijing masses as a local specialty.

Best place to find aiwowo
Baikuilao 白魁老号饭庄 (A muslim joint where you buy coupons to spend as you like) View In Map
Add: 158 Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址:北京市东城区交道口南大街158号
Tel: 010 6406 0667
Opening hours: 06:00-20:00

6) Dried fruit 干果
Research has shown that dry fruit can help digestion, bone health, and in general should be a daily intake for a healthy diet. Thank God we are in Beijing, where stalls with any sort of dried fruit stud the landscape. Bananas, oranges, plums, strawberries, you name it. They are a perfect snack on the road. Apart from mobile stalls all over Beijing, you can find special isles in most supermarkets and wet markets.

The best place to find dried fruit:
Chongwenmen Market 崇文门市场 (a huge wet market to get lost in)View In Map
Add: 1 Chongwenmenwai Dajie, Chongwen District, Beijing
地址:北京市崇文区崇文门外大街1号
Tel: 010 6702 0308
Opening hours: 07:00-22:30

7) Cream cakes 奶油蛋糕
How much cream can you reasonably put in a cake before it stomachs you? The answer in Beijing is: double the amount of what is acceptable elsewhere. If you have taken part in even just a couple of birthday parties here, you know this already. Yet if taken in small doses, Beijing cakes can offer a moment of utter ecstasy. The sugar kick can be strong, so make sure you plan a small run to wear off the energy intake. For the not-so-intrepid, you can make do with a couple of cream puffs: a thin layer of pastry, filled with cream.

Best place to find cream cakes:
Meiweizhuangyuan Western Bakery  美味庄园西饼面包房 View In Map
Add: 221 Dongsi Bei Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址:北京市东城区东四北大街221号
Tel: 010 6401 5757
Opening hours: 07:00-23:00

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Keywords: best Beijing desserts traditional Chinese desserts Beijing old Beijing desserts

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