Traditional meal in Beijing
The first stop in Beijing was a scenic tour of the old Hutong district. Hutongs are alleyway residences. It sounds rather bland--an alleyway district--but it's considered prime real estate.
In China, nobody owns the land they live on and, thus, they can be forced to relocate by the government at any time. Furthermore, most of the population in major cities live in massive highrises.
The Hutongs are unique because the people living there actually own the land their place resides on. In addition, these residences are often quite large and while they may not have a restroom (community restrooms are common), they often have personal courtyards for raising pigeons or chickens or gardening, and have many rooms.
Furthermore, the fact that they have historical significance for their architecture and art and thus is of importance to the government. Due to this, the government helps pay to keep the hutongs in good condition, both structurally and for appearances for tourists.
During my tour through the hutongs we were welcomed into the home of one of the residents for lunch. (Local governments hire "Goodwill Ambassadors" to do this for tourists--both local and foreign--to introduce the local culture through cuisine.) Here we were introduced to a variety of typical Beijing-style dishes.
Unlike the blaring spice of Sichuan or the Indian influence in Xinjiang, Beijing flavors are rather mild, with a tendency to add a little bit extra sugar to dishes. The purpose of this style of cooking is rather Watersian--you should be enjoying the flavors of the ingredients, not the sauces or spices.
Wok cooking is prevalent, which encompasses braising, steaming, stir-fry, deep fry, and soups. Baking is completely unheard of, and roasting is only done at community events where a large bonfire is available.
The meal started out with a local beer and cups of jasmine tea. Wontons filled with cabbage and chicken were served aside bowls of incredibly saline dark soy sauce. Minced pork and carrots served in a sweet and tame chili-garlic sauce was, personally, my favorite dish and one I am still looking forward to re-creating.
The meal started out with a local beer and cups of jasmine tea. Wontons filled with cabbage and chicken were served aside bowls of incredibly saline dark soy sauce. Minced pork and carrots served in a sweet and tame chili-garlic sauce was, personally, my favorite dish and one I am still looking forward to re-creating.
Cabbage tossed with cloud-ear mushrooms and velveted chicken was mind-blowing in its simple elegance. Velveting is a stir-fry technique where cornstarch and egg white are mixed together and the chicken (or pork, or pigeon, whathaveyou) is marinated in this mixture for a half hour before lightly stir-frying. The result is a velvety smooth coating to the meat.
A plate of vegetables stir-fried with bit of homemade garlic and black bean sauce made for a pungent and earth dish that whet the appetite. Chicken and cucumbers cooked in soy and sesame oil was simple, fresh, and filling.
Lightly deep-fried tomatoes and potatoes tossed with sugar were intriguing to us foreigners, but they were delicious nonetheless.
We finished with a simple egg drop and tomato soup that warmed the bones as a the first autumn winds were just sweeping in from Mongolia in the north.