![\"SIB_1\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSo, let\u2019s go ahead and assume you need a snack. Not a meal, just a small snack. We\u2019re also going to assume that you\u2019re in Beijing, which we have previously (and rightly) called the best city ever.<\/p>\n
You have a lot of choices; and not just because the city is home to 18 million other people and enough convenient stores to feed them all. If you venture a bit further out of your comfort zone, abandon your potato chips, and hit the streets, you\u2019re bound to find a new favorite.<\/p>\n
When all else fails, you\u2019ve gotta get some sausage. Guan Chang (\u704c\u80a0\/gu\u00e0n ch\u00e1ng) is particularly a good choice. Pork intestines, filled with flour or starch, spices, and sometimes minced pork, are cut into squares and then fried. And, honestly, the best way to improve a snack is to fry it. Guan chang is also eaten with bamboo sticks instead of chopsticks, which makes it perfect for on-the-go snacking.<\/p>\n
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Don\u2019t worry; it\u2019s cake. Sweet Ears (\u7cd6\u8033\u6735\/ t\u00e1ng \u011brduo) are fried sugar cakes that are served cold. Think fair-style fried dough\u2014just flour and sugar, fried and served. They\u2019re soft, sweet, and tasty; you\u2019re going to have trouble finding another dessert that more suitably satisfies your sweet tooth.<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_2\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_2.jpg\")
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But, it\u2019s still liver\u2026with some onion. Chao Gan (\u7092\u809d\/ ch\u01ceo g\u0101n) is a soup, actually. A dark red soup, with the meat, garlic sauce, spring onion, and ginger stewing in a mushroom broth before being added to a mixture of mashed garlic and chicken broth. The meat is deliciously tender and the soup will certainly hit the spot.<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_3\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_3.jpg\")
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You\u2019ve seen the pictures, thought about it, maybe even passed a couple vendors in the street, but now it\u2019s time. It\u2019s time to eat some scorpions. They\u2019re worth the try and that\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_4\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_4.jpg\")
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These are actually rolls of glutinous race and sweet bean paste. They taste sweet, are a bit sticky, and look kind of like a swiss roll. Overall, they\u2019re a pretty pleasant dessert alternative if you aren\u2019t feeling the aforementioned cake. Why the name? When dusted with soy flour, it\u2019s said that the dish looks like a donkey kicking up dust.<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_5\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_5.jpg\")
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This drink (\u8336\u6c64\/ ch\u00e1 t\u0101ng), sadly, cannot turn you into a giant, fire-breathing lizard. It\u2019s also not made from anything even remotely resembling said lizard. It\u2019s a tea soup named after the dragon on the spout of the used teapot. Millet flour or lotus root is doused with boiling water, brewed and then is complemented with brown sugar, raisins, peanuts, and sweet osmanthus sauce. One of the most famous places to taste Beijing tea soup is Juyuan House (\u805a\u5143\u658b) in Qianmenwai (\u524d\u95e8\u5916).<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_6\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_6.jpg\")
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If you can, try to eat the noodles they say are the spiciest in the entire world. Finish in 10 minutes or less and you get a free T-shirt and permanent discount. Worth the pain, if you ask us!<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_7\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_7.jpg\")
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Mung bean milk (\u8c46\u6c41\/d\u00f2u zh\u012b). Think of it as soy milk\u2019s less popular cousin. Some would add \u201cwith very good reason\u201d. Let\u2019s just say it\u2019s an acquired taste. It smells a little like eggs and has a color somewhere between green and grey, but it\u2019s very good for you. Make a habit of drinking it and you\u2019ll boost your vitamin C and fiber intakes.<\/p>\n
![\"SIB_8\"](\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/SIB_8.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So, let\u2019s go ahead and assume you need a snack. Not a meal, just a small snack. We\u2019re also going to assume that you\u2019re in Beijing, which we have previously (and rightly) called the best city ever. You have a lot of choices; and not just because the city is home to 18 million other…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":8539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[122],"post_series":[],"yoast_head":"\n