BeijingFood

　　TherearefourmajorcookingstylesinChina:Sichuan,Cantonese,ShandongandHuaiyang,witheachhavingdozensofbranches.AllstylesarerepresentedinBeijingwiththousandsofrestaurants.Inaddition,recentyearshaveseentheemergenceofrestaurantsofferingFrench,RussianandItalianfoodsaswellasAmericanfastfood.

　　PekingDuck

　　PekingDuckhasthereputationofbeingthemostdeliciousfoodintheworld.TheChinesehaveasaying:VisitorstoBeijingmustdotwothings:climbtheGreatWallandeatPekingDuck.WhileatQuanJuDe,ducksareroasteddirectlyoverflamesfromfruit-treewood,atBianYiFangroastingisdoneinclosedcontainersfiredwithcropstalks.ThebestplacestogoforPekingDuckareQianmen,HepingmenandWangfujing.

　　RoyalCourtFood

　　Over800yearswhenBeijingservedasthenation'scapital,acookingstylecateringtotheroyalcourtdevelopedintoamajorschoolonaparwithothernationalcuisine.Today,ordinarypeoplecansamplefoodofthiscookingstyle,whichwasformerlyreservedforroyalsonly.ThebestrestaurantsofferingcourtfoodareFangShaninBeihaiParkandTingLiGuanintheSummerPalace.Restaurantsspecializingincourtfoodarenotonlymeticulousaboutthequalityofrawfoodselected,butlaygreatemphasisontheambianceanddecorationofthediningrooms.

　　FeastofCompleteManchu-HanCourses(ManHanQuanXi)

　　Oneeveninginearly1993,35Chineseandforeigntouristscladinclothesthatmadethemthelook-alikesofaQingemperor,hisqueen,hisconcubinesandcourtofficialsfiledintotheFangShanRestaurant.TheywerethefifthgrouptosampleManHanQuanXi,orFeastofCompleteManchu-HanCourses,inthe70-yearhistoryoftherestaurant.ManHanQuanXifoodsincludebears'paw,hedgehoghydnum,tigerkidney,David'sdeer,ginseng,bracken,camelhump,sharkfin,soft-shellturtleandfishskin,tonameonlyafew.Asmanyrawdishescomefromwildlifenowunderstateprotection,thesecoursesarenolongeravailable.

　　HotPot

　　ThemajorityofrestaurantsinBeijing,bigorsmall,servehuoguo,orhotpot.Customerssitaroundatableonwhichisplaceahotpot.Whenthewaterinthepotboils,theydippaper-thinslicesofmuttoninthewaterand,secondslater,getthecookedmuttonoutoftheoptandmixthemwithasaucethatcontainssesamebutter,saltedleekandadozenotheringredients.Peoplealsocookfrozenbeancurd,Chinesecabbageandvermicelliinthehotpot.

　　MoslemFlavor

　　AftertheJinandYuandynasties(1115-1368),withmoreHuipeoplesettlinginBeijing,Moslemfoodconsistingmainlyofbeefandmuttonbecameincreasinglypopularinthecity.Beefandmuttonarecookedinmanyways.Cookedmuttonalonecomesindozensofvarieties,includinginstantstewedmuttonandmuttoncookedinslysauce.ThebestrestaurantofferingMongolianhotpotinBeijingisDongLaiShunonWangfujingStreet;andthebestroastmuttonrestaurantisthe145-year-oldKaoRouJibesideLakeShichahai.Also,theYouYiShunRestaurantatXidanisknownforitsfriedmuttonandthenearbyHongBinLouRestaurantforitsall-muttonfeast.

　　FolkSnacks

　　ABeijingerwhohaslongresidedabroadsays:Whatmissmostarethenumeroussnacksbackhome.Douzhi,pagao,ludagun,chatangandzhaguanchangallmakethemouthwater.Douzhiisafermenteddrinkmadefromgroundbeans;pagaoisacoldfoodmadefr