Even when COVID is not a factor and the Olympics are not being held there, China’s communist government tries it’s darnedest to keep visiting foreigners from exploring the full breadth and depth of its rich, colourful street food scene. But we’re going to do our best to break through the ‘Noodle Curtain’…
Rou Jia Mo: AKA the Chinese Hamburger.
I’m sure you’re expecting stuff like noodle soups, fried rice, dumplings, Bao buns, pork buns, stuffed sticky rice balls, satay skewers, and so on. But we’re going to dig deeper, venturing onto some side streets where only local residents usually go, to uncover some truly amazing grab-and-go goodies.
On our menu today
Rou jia mo: Donkey Sandwiches. And no faux donkey or donkey-shaped eats here. Real donkey meat. Necessity was the mother of this invention for sure: Chinese soldiers resorted to it during the Ming Dynasty for survival. But over the millennia, it caught on with the masses – kind of like SPAM in Hawaii – and now it’s a street food fave. Shredded Donkey is stewed with various spices and sauces (there’s an infinite selection of recipes), and served in a Shaobing bun. Also known as a ‘Chinese Hamburger’.
Stinky Tofu: Bite-sized cubes of firm tofu made from fermented soy beans. Like many fermented Asian specialties, this stuff has a very strong odour. Hence, the name. Traditionally served with Garlic Paste, pepper and sesame oil.
Jianbing: Breakfast Crèpes. A simple wheat or rice flour batter using lots of eggs is quick-fried on a round flat-top griddle. Then it’s topped with filled with scallions, lettuce, cilantro and red chili sauce, and folded (not unlike a French Crèpe) for service.
Look around. You’ll find lots of Jianbing carts and stands offering different variations on this universally-popular breakfast dish on the streets of all of China’s larger towns and cities .
Cong You Bing: Deep-fried Scallion Pancakes. A breakfast staple for folks on the go. Some class this palm-sized treat as a flatbread. Others call it a pancake. It’s simply bread dough studded with spicy scallions and deep-fried. Greasy, but golden and delicious.
Xi’an Bing: Stuffed Pancakes. They fill the niche pancakes occupy in the west, but they’re made with dough rather than batter.
They fry up plump, flaky, multi-layered and golden, and are usually stuffed with pork and cabbage flavoured with fresh ginger, diced onions, chili oil and rice wine.
Chicken and Duck Feet: Deep fried and crispy, they’re really nothing more than skin on bones. (See photo, top of page.) Everybody loves ’em. Not only do folks crave the crispy crunch, but fowl feet carry with them ancient claims of healthfulness and even disease prevention powers. Always sprinkled liberally with salt, they’re made for dipping in chili oil, barbecue sauce and other spicy condiments.
Bing Tanghulu: Candied Haw Berries. Think cherry-sized Crab Apples. Ripe Red or Yellow Haw Berries – or other popular fruits – are skewered and dipped in a sugar syrup that hardens on cooling.
It’s as simple as that. Eat ’em straight off the wooden skewer like mini Candy Apples. Just look at ’em… Who could resist?
Youtiao: Crispy Doughnut Sticks. I like to think of them as Chinese Churros. The resemblance is uncanny! They’re usually served as an accompaniment to Soy Milk and rice or bean porridge.
I could go further…
… to the back streets, and the ‘Dark Side’. But do you really want to know about Barbecued Snake? Roasted Rat? Stewed Dog? I thought not. Just concentrate on the lesser-known but mega-popular Chinese street foods we’ve introduced above – and don’t be afraid to Google them. You’ll find a whole raft of authentic Chinese recipes for all of them, with some great tips for enhancements and dipping sauces!
~ Maggie J.