Tabletop traditions

Different regions in China have their own delicacies for Spring Festival. Li Yingxue checks out restaurants in the capital that offer specialities from around the country.

Twenty-third, eat the sticky candy; 24th, clean the house; 25th, fry the tofu; 26th, stew the lamb; 27th, butcher the rooster; 28th, leaven the dough; 29th, steam the buns; and 30th, stay up all night.

So goes a Beijing folk song that describes how people prepare for Spring Festival, starting from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. Most of the activities revolve around food.