CHESTNUTS ROASTING ...

Beijing

Smoky sweetness wafting on the chilly bright air of autumn announces the arrival of a favorite seasonal delicacy. Li Jing tracks down the chestnuts.

When yellow-orange hues color the trees in the city, it signals the time for delicious sugar-roasted chestnuts. All over Beijing now, the smoky scents advertise the proliferation of places selling chestnuts, and some of stalls are time-honored favorites. Just a few meters away from touristy Nanluogu Xiang is the capital's most celebrated roasted chestnut stall ?Qiulixiang. Its Old Beijing pedigree lends a vintage flair to the stall, emphasized by its intricately carved wooden panels and red-tiled roof.