Putting novelty deep-fried scorpions to one side......
.....especially for you, KFD – and the foodies among you - I just wanted to note some of the fragrant and delicious dishes I have sampled so far.
Yuannan cuisine may rate as my favourite. It originates from a region diverse with ethnic minorities, so it comes in many different forms and styles. Milky, creamy tofu - so soft that it breaks and melts when you try to catch it with your chopsticks – smothered in a tapenade of chilli, garlic and coriander, for example; or bundles of fresh mint wrapped in succulent little blankets of thinly sliced beef; how about scrambled egg with butter and studded with edible jasmine flower buds or fried potatoes cooked with crispy tea leaves….the list goes on. It’s fragrant, fresh, fast and tasty. Hungry yet?
Beijing also boasts a huge range of international cuisine, from Spanish to North Korean and everything in between. Malaysian restaurants serve browned chicken glazed in sticky honey and deep-fried tofu squares in blood-red chili sauce. For vegetarians, Beijing offers variety and novelty. Tofu features highly – the stinky or non-stinky variety – depending on your nasal vigour. Monkey-head mushrooms (or, on the menu, just ‘Monkey Head’, which I didn’t really believe) in plum sauce with pyramids of cous-cous and baby celery wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves; for dessert, egg-yolk dumplings and sweet spring rolls. Delicious!
Street food is also a constant temptation. Every alley bursts with holes in the wall offering smoky mutton kebabs, hot Chinese pancakes, fresh and bitter yoghurt with honey-sweet swirls topped with red beans and steamed stuffed buns filled with succulent pork.
Time for a raw salad, methinks……
