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| Entrance to the exotic food street in Beijing, China |
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| A vendor arranging strips of beef tripe |
He did not quite spell out the quintessential Chinese quest
for elixirs of love but we know that traditional Chinese medicine does link
some ingredients to a healthier libido. I soon learnt that this street maintains its traditional
fame as a centre for certain food for men who are seeking a little boost in the
bedroom but now it’s a major tourist attraction for a variety of exotic food to
entice people with adventurous palates. Our
guide encouraged us to capture many photo mementoes but gently advised to
refrain from sampling any unfamiliar food if we do not have stomachs made of
steel!
Sights and Smells
I mentally brace myself at the entrance to the snack street
before I plunge into the crowd that was swelling by the minute as after-office
people arrive in search of a tasty treat.
Easily identified by their office attire, these locals are familiar with
their favourite food and have no qualms about slurping down scalding bowls of
noodles while standing in a crush of people.
Oops! It’s not noodles after all
because when I look into their bowls, I realise the springy strings are beef
tripe that have been cut into ribbons!
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| Dishing our stinky tofu! |
I laugh at myself for such a silly mistake and make up my
mind to look closer before deciding what the foreign food is. Most of the stalls that line both sides of
the street have signs in English with prices listed in Yuan but food like
dumplings, spring rolls, deep-fried crabs, barbecued crayfish, roasted quail
and fried pancakes, really needs no introduction. The aroma of freshly fried food does
something to my senses and I start to salivate, following my nose to check out
the appetising items sizzling on the open griddles.
Just as I’m drinking in these delicious flavours, my greedy
nose is suddenly assaulted by the most disgusting smell of something rotten. I wince in horror, baffled by what can smell
so horrible in a food street but the pong gets even stronger as I approach the
stall with a large wok busily deep-frying and trays filled with obnoxious
stinky beancurd cubes. I do not hesitate
to hurry pass that queue of chou tofu
connoisseurs, waiting patiently for the vendor to serve their order of freshly
fried stinky tofu drizzled in sauce, in a bid to escape from that foul smell!
Sticks and Skewers
To save time and to control portion sizes, most of the
snacks and ingredients here are served on skewers or sticks. At some stalls, soups are on the boil or woks
of heated oil are ready to give the customers’ choices of skewered ingredients,
a quick hot dip before serving. As I check
out some unfamiliar items and animal innards on the skewers, I must say that one
of the most eye-catching skewers must be the ready-to-eat candied Tang Hu Lu
skewers stuffed with colourful cut fruits and haw berries or san char coated with caramelised sugar.
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| Guess what are on these skewers... |
Despite the fact that there is very little medical evidence
that back-up aphrodisiacal claims, the Chinese still embrace the belief that
certain food can improve one’s libido.
These traditionally include animal genitalia or food that resembles a
phallus and some of the most bizarre creatures for general health and longevity. I remember seeing dried seahorses and geckoes
sold for their medicinal value in traditional Chinese herbal shops but nothing
prepared me for the sight of sticks topped by fried seahorses, starfishes, silkworm
cocoons, scorpions and lizards!
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| Wriggly baby scorpions on skewers! |
Exotic food in many Asian countries often includes deep-fried
six-legged insects and grubs but I stood dazed for a moment as I process the
thought of anyone eating these creatures as it must take a great deal of
courage and determination to reap the desired effects of its promised positive
effects. As I move on to the next stall,
I wonder if the vendors display their wares to attract and shock tourists and I
guess they succeeded with me. I’m swiftly
distracted by an imperceptible movement on a fan of sticks and following a
perverse curiosity to look closer, I shudder to discover that the sticks are impaled
with rows of wriggling baby scorpions! Aargh!
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| A crush of people throng the street in search of exotic street snacks |
Fast Facts
Donghuamen Night Food Street is located off Wangfujing
Street, a broad shopping street close to Beijing’s best hotels and famous sites
like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
From 3.30pm, vendors will set up their stalls for business which starts
around 4.30pm till 10.30pm. Prices here start
from 5 Yuan and are higher than traditional street food stalls but it’s still
inexpensive to have a satisfying meal. Be
prepared to be jostled in the throng and keep an eye out for stray skewers to
avoid getting impaled by one!
Very beautifully written, this was a pleasure to read.
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