Popular Beijing Snacks

Baozi

Otherwise known as steamed buns, the Chinese usually eat these for breakfast, so you'll have to get in line with the locals at 8am to enjoy the best ones. About the size of a fist, the extremely light and fluffy dough keeps the filling piping hot until you take a bite. Fillings can range from pork to prawn and green vegetables.

One of Beijing's most popular baozi stands sits on Xinzhongjie, about 100m south of the busy Dongzhimenwai Street. Each bun costs 3 Yuan (28 pence).

Chuan'r

Usually available from the early evening onwards, Yang rou chuan'r – lamb kebabs from China's Western Xinjiang Province – are one of Beijing's most coveted street foods. The best chuan'r are those that intersperse fresh, seasoned lamb with chunks of succulent fat. There are literally hundreds of roadside barbeques selling these in Beijing, easily identifiable by the Chinese character for kebab – 串 – fashioned out of red neon, and an irresistible smell of spices.

Head to where trendy hutong Nanluoguxiang meets Gulou Dong Dajie to sample some for just 5 pence a piece.

Jian Bing

The Jian Bing is a savory pancake originally from China's east coast that's perfect for a filling, on-the-go bite. Street stands usually consist of a hot plate on the back of a bike and appear around breakfast and lunchtime. The pancake mixture is spread on to the hot plate with a single flourish, and egg is spread on top. A smear of dark, sweet wheat sauce is followed by a sprinkling of fresh chilli and green onions. Finally, the key ingredient: a sheet of crunchy fried dough that's bashed into the folds of the pancake before it's handed over to you in a totally impractical thin plastic bag.

Try the stand that appears in the mornings before 9.30am on the corner of Baofang Hutong and Dongsi Nan Dajie.

Donghuamen night market

Touristy it may be, but if you go with a open mind and an empty stomach, you'll be richly rewarded at this evening market. Street snacks from all over China feature, from the tasty shredded lamb and coriander "burgers" from Shanxi Province, to the dreaded scorpions on sticks from Shandong.

North-west of Wangfujing Street. The native stall owners set up at 4pm daily and start packing up at 10pm.