lu da gun (rolling donkey), a soft
yellow rice and soybean cake, ai wo wo, a white glutinous rice cake with a
variety of stuffing. |
There is no
better illustration of what Beijingers eat during the Spring Festival than food
offered by traditional snack food (xiao chi, small eats) stores throughout
Beijing.
Huguosi Snack Food Store is a great example of the festive food shops.
The present location of the store was formerly the site of a famous temple
fair in the west part of the city, where the most famous "small eats" food
brands thronged. In 1956 a State-owned traditional snack store was established.
Today the store is one of the few old brand-name State-owned businesses that
still continue this tradition.
According to Li Qiuhua, manager, nian gao (glutinous rice cake), dou bao
(steamed buns with smashed red bean stuffing), xi zi bing (a cake with the
Chinese character for 'happiness' on it) and mian yu'er (cake shaped like a
fish) are some of the most popular foods at the store during big holiday
shopping.
Most of these carry auspicious meanings, too. For example nian gao literally
means better this year than last year. The fish cake is considered auspicious
because fish in Chinese (yu) means surplus. The Chinese hope they are prosperous
and rich in the New Year.
Other foods available include many kinds of traditional Beijing 'small eats.'
Some of the most famous treats are lu da gun (rolling donkey), a soft yellow
rice and soybean cake, ai wo wo, a white glutinous rice cake with a variety of
stuffing, wan dou huang, a smooth tasting yellow pea cake, and jiao quan,
deep-fried crispy flour ring.
As this is a Muslim food store, there are also beef, mutton and chicken, as
well as many other 'small eats.'
For 'small eats," visit the following
stores:
|
Huguosi Traditional Snack Food Store
Location:
No 93 Huguosi Dajie
Tel: 6618-1705 |
|
Huguosi Traditional Snack Food Store No 2 Branch
Location: No 15 Xinjiekou Nandajie
Tel: 6616-1237
|
|
Di'anmen Traditional Snack Food Store
Location: No 180 Di'anmenwai Dajie
Tel: 6404-2946
|
|
Xincheng Traditional Snack Food Store
Location: No 10 Xinjiekou Beidajie
Tel: 6618-1575
|
|
Xi'anmen Traditional Snack Food Store
Location: No 89 Xi'anmen Dajie
Tel:
6617-6299 |
