For Beijingers, breakfast begins early at 6 am. In the winter months, shops begin selling breakfast while it’s still dark and typically sell out before 7 am.

Though many of the city’s younger residents are more accustomed to a later breakfast, the city’s zaodian treats can still inspire lots of residents to head out in search of a steaming bowl of tofu or wontons.

Over the last thousand years, Beijing has evolved a rich breakfast tradition that focuses on foods that are filling, hot and fresh.

Favorites include baozi, steamed and stuffed buns, youtiao, a kind of fried doughnut that’s more salty than sweet, wontons, hot soymilk and jellied tofu. Fried dumplings and porridge are also popular choices.

Freshness is the most important featureof Beijing breakfast. All foods must be made and served immediately before eating.

The most ordered breakfast dishes are jellied tofu and youtiao. But in spite of the name, the dish is not merely tofu. Tofu jelly is made by ladling fresh scoop of extra soft tofu into a bowl and topping it with another ladle of gravy, wood ears and day lilies.

When eaten separately, jellied tofu and youtiao are nothing special. Eaten together with some salted vegetables, they become the perfect culinary match.

It’s worth trying out all the restaurants in your neighborhood. The flavors of breakfast foods vary greatly from vendor to vendor and restaurant to restaurant.

Source: Beijing Today