Pick Up Sticks: Who Says You’re Too Old to Play With Your Food?
Advertisement
From meaty, cumin-scented lamb skewers to sweet, candied hawthorns, Beijing is filled with food on a stick. These fork-free dishes are perfect for strolling, sharing, dipping, or indulging. If you’ve ever cooked over a campfire or savored a popsicle, then you’ll know that hand-held food is fun for all ages.
For those of us staying in town for the winter break, why not take the family for a stroll and see what you can find? Put together a scavenger hunt or discover a new favorite that we missed. Food might just be the excuse you need to get kids out of the house, and who knows, you might talk them into lingering in an art gallery or bookstore while you are out.
Local Flavors
Head to or to start, and grab some lamb skewers (羊肉串 yángròu chuàn'r), “whirlwind” potatoes (旋风土豆 xuànfēng tǔdòu), squid (鱿鱼串 yóuyú chuàn'r), or sausages (香肠串 xiāngcháng chuàn'r) on a stick. For the truly adventurous, there are scorpions, silkworm larvae, and tarantulas, perhaps best left for capturing with your camera and not your tastebuds.
For an experience that’s a little more off the beaten path, head to - subway stop Gulou Dajie (鼓楼大街 gǔlóu dàjiē) - and spend the morning exploring the produce, spices, and wet market. When hunger strikes, look for the 麻辣烫 málà tàng stand selling a variety of skewers including mushroom bundles, quail eggs, meatballs, broccoli, lettuce, noodles, and much more. Don’t worry – there’s no menu to decipher; just point to a skewer that looks good and give it a try. For just a few RMB a skewer, it’s a fun, affordable outing. Stroll the streets around the market and you’ll find skewer (aka 串 chuàn'r) restaurants and traditional snack shops.
Advertisement
Travel the Globe
Don’t limit yourself to Chinese food. There’s a whole world just waiting for you to try. Grab a map and start checking off your destinations. At Greek restaurant, the chicken souvlaki comes on a suspended skewer. Nearby offers a platter of mixed Lebanese kebabs, and a taste of Turkey is only a hop, skip, and a jump away at .
Branch out from curries at your favorite Indian restaurant with a skewer of cheese-like paneer or head to in Haidian District for Indonesian mutton or beef satay with a side of sambal kecap, sweet soy sauce mixed with chilies and shallots. And of course, don’t forget to stop by Thailand for some peanut-y chicken satay.
If you’d rather take cooking into your own hands, offers cheese fondue every evening after 6pm. Each bowl of melted cheese-y goodness comes with crunchy cubes of bread, vegetables, cornichons, and a bowl of pineapple. This could become a new family tradition!
Sweet Endings
Winter is the season for 糖葫芦 tánghúlu, those shiny, sugary fruit sticks decorating the city like ornaments. Round red hawthorns are the most popular, but you’ll also find grapes, kiwi slices, and Chinese yams. There are even some Santa-themed ones with marshmallows and strawberries.
Keep an eye out for purple sticky rice dipped in sugar or waffles on a stick that spell “I Love Beijing” in Chinese characters (我爱北京). Find your zodiac sign fashioned in sugar candy or grab a stick full of sweet-and-sour 山楂shānzhā (dried hawthorn). The golden yellow hue of floral 桂花 guìhuā cake beckons, drizzled with sweet syrup made from osmanthus flowers.
For a more interactive experience, head to to make some s’mores. Roast American marshmallows over your own charcoal brazier, add some Lindt chocolate, and sandwich it all between Biscoff cookies and digestive biscuits.
Lastly, don’t rule out ice cream just because it’s winter. Beautiful rose-shaped ice cream and vibrant fruity popsicles (at Nanluoguxiang) will make you forget how cold it is outside, even if just for a moment.
Advertisement
Photos: Kirsten Harrington
Hot topics
A Reminder About Returning to Beijing After Travel
Tell Me a Story – and Donate to MCF’s Online Bookclub!
SCG Preview: Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy (KRK)