Beijing Cuisine (京菜), also known as Jing Cuisine, is come into being on the base of northern cuisine and abstract essence of local favors. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shandong cuisine is in the dominant position which affects greatly Beijing cuisine. The interaction and integration between Jinnan fiction and Jiaodong fiction formed the fresh, crisp and great taste with fried, steaming, quick-fry as the main technology. Beijing cuisine is probably divided into local cuisine, Muslim cuisine as well as imperial cuisine. it is one symbole of Chinese culture.
Local Cuisine
Peking Duck, as the representative Beijing cuisine with a world reputation, was prepared since the imperial era. According to the legend, the unique taste of Peking Roast Duck derives from the quality of the duck, which is a kind of meet-eating duck of top-quality. It is said that about 1,000 years ago, emperors in Liao and Yuan Dynasties got this kind of pure white duck by coincidently when hunting. They raised it from generation to generation and developed into the rare species of meat-eating duck.
Peking duck is proud of its bright color, crisp skin, tender meat as well as fat but not greasy characteristic. Duck are usually bred for 45 days and seasoned before being roasted. The meat is sliced in front of the diners by the cook and eaten with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Quan Ju De is popular for its special-roasted technology –duck roasted over the fire, while Bian Yi Fang is well known for duck roasted in the fire.
Muslim Cuisine
Recurred to instant-boiled mutton, it is widely known by people in Beijing. Instant-boiled mutton is a kind of hot-pot with boiled water as base and mutton as the main type of meat, dipping with mixed sauce. Instant-boiled mutton began in Yuan Dynasty and rose in Qing Dynasty. The meat is selected from the back, rear legs or tail of the lamb and sliced into pieces of 12cm long and 2 cm wide.
A hot-pot filled with water, chicken soup or spicy hot soup was put in the middle of the table, after the water is boiled, the sliced mutton was stuck into the boiled water for one or two minutes, then eating with sauces mixed with sesame paste, fermented bean curd, chives and so on. Vegetables, various fish products, vermicelli are matched materials in common. During the cold winter, instant-boiled mutton are the best choice. Dong Lai Shun is the first recommended restaurant for the traditional instant-boiled mutton.
Imperial Cuisine
Imperial Cuisine, as a special part of Chinese Dietary Culture, is handed down from Emperor’s Kitchen. It is generally speaking that the imperial diet in Qing Dynasty is developed on the base of Shandong dishes, Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine as well as the Manchu-based cuisine. Fang Shan situated in Beihai Park and Ting li Ting in the Summer Palace are both two famous Chinese imperial cuisine restaurants in Beijing.
Manchu Han Imperial Feast was dated from the royal court of Qing Dynasty, originally prepared for the feast of Emperor Kangxi’s 66th birthday. According to the record, the mean was held for three days divided into six banquets. It is a kind of great meal made up of at least 108 unique dishes from Manchu and Han cuisines.
There is a statement of “Thirty-two Delicacies” about the feast, suggesting the rare materials of the menu. The “Eight Mountain Delicacies” includes Hump, bear's paw, hedgehog, scarlet lips, leopard tires, rhinoceros tail, deer’s sinew. The “Eight Land Delicacies” contains frog, mushroom, Jade mushroom, all kinds of fowls. The “Eight Sea Delicacies” includes bird’s nest, shark fin, big black ginseng, fish maw, fish bones, etc.
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