Steamed Bun
A freshly steamed bun from a roadside food stall is the best way to warm up on a cold winter’s day in Beijing. The buns are inexpensive and delicious. Steamed buns with a variety of ingredients, including pork and pickled veggies, can be found anywhere.
It is recommended to avoid steamed buns altogether if your stomach cannot handle an excessive amount of gluten at one time.
Pancake
This is not the typical pancake that you might top with maple syrup or ice cream, as with many other Chinese street food favorites. Chinese pancakes (‘jianbing’) are a greasy, savory street meal that can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack at any time of day.
While the pancake is bubbling away on the hotplate, the egg, pickled veggies, sauce, and fluffy, crunchy wonton sticks are added to the top of the pancake. Yum! Many street vendors may attempt to upsell you by adding extra fillings such as Chinese sausage and roasted veggies to your bing.