传统北京小吃, 当时和现在 Traditional Beijing Snacks, Then and Now

Then

Now

我们昨天去护国寺小吃，吃北京经典小吃。这个小吃店是北京的老字号，约有三百年的历史。“字号” 这个词不一般不用来形容现代的企业，是指历史悠久的品牌。店里的品种很全，价格也公道, 许多老爷爷、老奶奶，在店里喝着豆汁（发酵的豆饮料－ 需要习惯后才能喜欢… … ，吃着焦圈（小，圆，炸油圈－看照片）！

 Yesterday, we went to “Hu Guo Si Snacks”, to try traditional Beijing snacks. This snack shop is an Beijing “Old Store Name” (“老字号”-lao zi hao), with more than 300 years of history.  An “Old Store Name” is a term that isn’t usually used for modern businesses; it refers to brand with a very long history. Great variety in the store, great prices, and plenty of old uncles and old aunties there drinking their Dou Zhi (a kind of fermented bean drink- definitely an acquired taste… …) and eating their Jiao Quan (a small, round, deep fried dough ring-see photo)！

北京的小吃包括民间小吃和宫廷小吃。民间小吃是老百姓爱吃的，比如说豆汁 焦圈 、什么的。老北京吃早餐的时候，都是一口焦圈儿一口豆汁儿 （在新加坡，就是一口咖啡，一口油条！）小窝头、豌豆黄，就是宫廷小吃。据说都是当年慈禧太后喜欢吃的。

Dou Zhi- an acquired taste

Traditional Beijing snacks include ordinary snacks eaten by regular folk, and imperial snacks. Ordinary snacks include Dou Zhi, Jiao Quan etc. When the Old Beijingers have breakfast, they like to have a bite of Jiao Quan, and chase it with Dou Zhi （in Singapore, it’s a bit of You Tiao, and chase it with coffee!). Imperial snacks include little maize dumplings, and pea cake. These were supposed to be snacks that the Empress Dowager Cixi was fond of eating.

不是你童年的棒子面 (Not the grits of your childhood)

Grits, Chinese style!

 这是“面茶”， 可不是“面条” ＋ “茶”！是棒子面，加芝麻酱 （那个黑色的液体，漂浮在棒子面上面）。不错，可是有点油。

 This is “Flour Tea”, no it isn’t “flour” + “tea”! It’s cornmeal flour, with black sesame sauce (that black liquid floating on top of the cornmeal). Not bad, but a bit oily.