Yesterday, I was playing basketball with some friends in China, and by the end of the game, everyone had built up an appetite. Li Ming suggested we go to a place specializing in Beijing snacks. He said, "There we can eat all we like and you’re sure to find something you like.” “That’s terrific,” I said, “let’s go.”
When we got there, we all tried "lǘ dǎ gǔn" (驴打滚), which literally means donkey rolling over; "xiǎo wō tóu" (小窝头), little corn buns; and "wān dòu huáng" (豌豆黄), pea flour cakes. For a drink, we all had "dòu zhī" (characters?), fermented bean drink. It was my first time trying it and it tasted so strange, I could not finish it.
"Lǘ dǎ gǔn" (驴打滚) literally means donkey rolling over, but it's actually a “glutinous rice roll with sweet bean flour.” The texture is soft and smooth; the taste is sweet and yummy. If you would like to learn more about Chinese food and China, you can find an online Chinese tutor for yourself. Li Ming told to me that traditionally "xiǎo wō tóu" (小窝头), little corn buns are eaten by the common people. Usually the poor eat them during the Chinese Spring Festival since they cannot afford anything better to eat. It is a bit of an aquired taste, but so is coffee. Speaking of drinks, the "old Beijingers" (people whose families have lived in Beijing for several generations) love to drink "dòu zhī" (characters?), fermented bean drink. It is made of soya beans that have high natural nutrition. I couldn't finish it the first time I tried it because it tasted so weird, but the more you drink it, the more you love it.
