Dining in Beijing

The stay in Beijing during the Olympics in August 2008 will be made all the more enjoyable, with excellent cuisine the city has to offer to its visitor. The uniqueness of the Beijing Cuisine lies in the fact that it is a blend of many food cultures. This includes the local flavor, royal cuisine, feudal official cuisine and Islamic cuisine. The glorious past of the city is a major contributing factor for the way, the cuisine of Beijing has shaped up. The city since ages has been a political, economic, diplomatic and cultural hub. The food cultures from across China as well as all over the world have hence blended at this great city called Beijing.

The food in Beijing boasts of exotic dishes, both local and international. The perennial favorite of Beijing is the exotic Beijing Roast Duck. The Peking duck has for decades been named China's tastiest dish. It is made of grilled stuff duck and is an item not missed by visitors when in Beijing. In Beijing, Islamic cuisine also occupies a significant position. Beef and mutton hence are commonly used to prepare dishes in Beijing. The foundation of the Beijing cuisine is the Imperial or Royal cuisine which is deeply embedded in the dining culture of Beijing. The imperial dishes involve complex preparations and the freshest of ingredients. One can also munch on Beijing snacks whenever hunger pangs appear. Most of the snacks, such as Pot-stewed Tripe (Luzhu), Quick-fried Tripe (Bao Du) and sweet cake (Tang Huo Shao) among others are available across Beijing.

People when in Beijing, prefer the local cuisine. However if one is looking for an international flavor, then there is nothing to worry about. Beijing also offers the visitors with international cuisines. Continental, Mexican, French, Thai and Japanese cuisines are available at many of the international restaurants that are present in the city. The Mediterranean food can be enjoyed at Hidden Tree, French food at Justine's in Jianguo Hotel, Japanese at Matsuko and Italian at Danieli's. Venues for dining in Beijing range from modest to luxurious restaurants. Here you will get small food kiosks as well as opulent dining areas. If one is interested to know more about local food culture, then strolling in typical food streets such as Donghuamen Night Snack Street, Wangfujing Snack Street and Gui Jie (Ghost Street) is a pleasant way to do so.