Beijing preserved fruit is one of the traditional snacks. It is famous in Beijing, well-known throughout China, and exported to foreign countries. China has been making preserved fruit for more than 1,000 years.

In ancient books, there are many records of pickling fruits with honey. The production process is that fresh fruits are firstly boiled in honey and concentrated so that a lot of water is removed, and then they can be preserved for a long time. The finished fruit was called "Mijian"(in Chinese: 蜜煎) which means "honey frying", and later the name gradually evolved into "Mijian" (in Chinese: 蜜饯) which means candied fruits. Later, sugar was used as a substitute for honey.

Beijing preserved fruit is processed and refined from fresh fruits. The taste is moderately sweet and sour, refreshing and smooth. There are thousands of varieties, such as apricots, pears, begonia, and so on.

Beijing preserved fruit owes its origin to the imperial kitchen. In order to ensure that the emperor could eat fresh fruits all year round, the chefs sorted the fruits produced in each season and soaked them in honey so that the emperor could eat them at any time. Later, this production method was spread to the public, and workshops in Beijing specializing in the production of preserved fruits appeared.

Places to buy Beijing preserved fruit: supermarkets in Beijing