A Bowl of Douzhi: a Traditional Huguosi Snack

Talking of food and snacks, you may be overwhelmed, especially facing the Chinese traditional food. In China, there are many snack streets that offer delicious snacks for visitors. Snacks are usually called “Small Eats” by young people, because these dishes are small dishes that are made to be conveniently eaten and carried.

And now, it is snack time in Beijing. Have you ever drank a bowl of douzhi? Have you ever been to the Huguosi snack street?Douzhi is one of the Huguosi snacks, a traditional snack with the history of more than 700 years. As a native snack, douzhi was already popular among Beijing’s poor as early as the Liao and Song dynasties. It found its way to the dining table of the imperial family during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Besides, Douzhi (or fermented mung bean milk) is an indispensable snack in Beijing culinary culture whose strange flavor is beyond description. It is similar to soy milk, but made from mung beans. It is a by-product of cellophane noodle production. It is generally slightly sour, with an egg-like smell. Douzhi is almost one of Beijing’s most famous snacks, not because it tastes good, but it’s hard to swallow. But the magic of this snack is that those who do not love it keep a distance from it, and those who love it, wish to have this snack every day. Not everyone in Beijing has tasted Douzhi, which is no longer as popular as in those days among Beijingers. But with its reputation, many travelers to Beijing are willing to give it a try.

Dou zhi is always paired with several matching snacks including pickles, sesame seed pancakes, fried loops and so on. It was deeply loved by both ordinary people and dignitaries, for it was not only a refreshing drink in summer, but also a cheap and substantial way to ease hunger, which was bound up with the flavor of local life.

So do you want to drink a bowl of douzhi?

Copyright: SKETCHES OF CLASSIC BEIJING, China Pictorial Press

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