The search for food in the street of Beijing

My first encounter with street food in China occurred after the perfect storm of jetlag, low blood sugar, achy feet, group dynamics, and an elusive Peking duck restaurant. Abandoning the search for the Beijing specialty, we started walking back to the hotel through the alleys (hutongs) with eyes wide open for some sustenance.

All of a sudden, we smelled something delicious as we passed by a long line of Chinese people. We jumped in line in spite of the fact that we had no idea what they were serving or how we were going to communicate when we reached the counter. Thankfully, a young woman in line who spoke English overheard our discussion and told us that it was “chinese bread”….”delicious”.

A sweet man in front of us ordered for us and helped us pay the correct amount of yuan. We sat down on a bench nearby, eating our delicious Chinese bread (that cost us only 1 yuan (~16¢) per steamed bun. Perhaps it wasn’t the most savory of all Chinese street food. It definitely would have been delicious in combination with some Peking duck. But it was definitely a great way to start our China adventure and introduction into food stalls and street food.

Chinese bread in Beijing

With our blood sugar levels elevated, we walked home and reflected on what a privotal night it had been.  We had ignored all the warnings about street food. And we satiated. We had found a motto for the rest of our time in China.  Follow the lines. It’s the safer way to eat street food and definitely the most delicious way to eat it. Occasionally, our peers would even follow suit.