Food in Beijing Series #2: What's for Breakfast? (Part 1)

Breakfast in China is really different from most parts of the world. If you’re traveling to Beijing, you might wonder, “Hmm… what can I get for breakfast?”
First of all, you might want to put the thought of getting bacon and eggs aside because we are going for a Chinese-style breakfast in this post.
Beijing is located at the north part of China so the breakfast here is slightly different from what you can get at the south.

~~~~~Ready to try some options? Scroll down~~~~~

"bāo zi" 包子/ Chinese Steamed Bun

bāo zi is made of flour and yeast with fillings in it. The fillings can be meat(usually pork) or vegetables (carrots, egg and other greens). If the filling is meat it will be called "ròu bāo" 肉包， if it is vegetables it will be called "cài bāo" 菜包.

If you want a sweet steamed bun, you can asked if they have buns with red-bean filling, known as "dòu shā bāo"豆沙包.
Usually two pieces of buns is enough to make you full. The Chinese usually eat this with a bowl of soup or a cup of warm soy milk.
Taste: Savory. For red bean paste it would be sweet
Price: It shouldn't cost more than 2 chinese yuan/piece
Availability: breakfast hours, before 10.30a.m

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"jiǎozi" 饺子/ Dumpling

The most common Jiǎozi you can get in China is either steamed or boiled . Unlike the buns which are usually only available for breakfast, you can get dumplings from breakfast till dinner. You can even get the pan-fried version of dumplings which taste really good. The fillings of dumplings varies and they cater to vegetarians as well. I highly recommend that you try fillings with zucchini and chicken(西葫芦鸡肉馅). For pan fried, fillings with mutton or beef are the BEST! If you want to go for a vegetarian option, choose Chinese chives and eggs ( 韭菜鸡蛋)
My favorite way of eating the dumplings is by dipping it in soy sauce and chili (because I like a bit of spiciness). However, most Chinese people like to dip it in vinegar.
Taste: Savory.
Price: from 8-12 Chinese yuan/basket onwards
Availability: all day

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"húntun" 馄饨/ Wonton

Wonton and dumplings are quite similar. Contrary to dumplings that are usually steamed or cooked in boiling water, wontons are usually cooked in broth or deep fried. The fillings are usually made of mince pork and the watery soup is usually made of chicken broth with fried garlic or onion; thus giving the wonton a fragrant and simple meal.
*Note: Soups in China are usually watery unlike western soups that are usually thick.
Taste: Savory
Price: about 5 Chinese yuan/bowl
Availability: mostly breakfast hours

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"yóutiáo" 油条 / Chinese Bread Sticks

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yóutiáo is like a long doughnut where you can eat it as it is, or dip it in soy milk. Personally, I like to dip it in the wonton soup for a more savory flavor. I treat it as a snack because it has a light and airy crunch to it, you can also eat it with Congee or rice porridge. The Chinese Bread Stick is deep fried so you might want to avoid from eating too much.
Taste: Savory*
Price: about 2 Chinese yuan/piece
Availability: breakfast hours only

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"dòujiāng" 豆浆/ Soybean Milk

Not to be confuse with 豆奶 that may contain some dairy and could be purchased in carton, 豆浆 doesn't contain any dairy and is usually made fresh, which makes it suitable for people with lactose intolerant. The common breakfast set would be the Chinese Bread Stick and Soy Bean Milk. Some shops make their soybean from scratch and you will be able to taste a smoky flavor of the soybean. The soybean milk is usually serve hot, and it taste sweet.
Taste: Sweet or bland (without sugar)
Price: about 3 Chinese yuan/cup
Availability: breakfast hours only

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"jiānbĭng" 煎饼 / Chinese Pancake

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The Chinese pancake is not your everyday pancake, it is thin and look like crepes. It is made of only wheat flour and usually top with some hot sauce, fermented bean sauce( a Chinese classic), cilantro, green onions, and egg. before folding it into a square, a thin crispy tofu skin will be added which give a light crunch to the 煎饼. You can add more ingredients if you want like an extra fried egg or some meat. (charges would be added too so you might want to check first) 煎饼 is usually available as a take-away from the shops so you can just eat it on the go. Sometimes, I eat it as a snack if I'm hungry between meals.
Taste: savory
Price: from 6 Chinese yuan (basic ones)
Availability: all day
**Note: This pancake is so famous, NYC has one called Mr.Bing

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Breakfast doesn't stop here because part 2 is coming up soon, stay tuned.

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*All pictures are from pixabay, relevant source, or taken by me

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