Teczcape-An Escape to Food

With China bullet train, Beijing - also the gateway to Forbidden City 紫禁城, Temple of Heaven 天坛, Summer Palace 颐和园- all UNESCO World Heritage Sites with footprints of the Ming and Qing dynasty (Qing being the last imperial dynasty of China) - is less than five hours from Zhengzhou, Henan.

Some say mutton hotpot 涮羊肉 is a must when visiting Beijing. But it was summer and hotpot was really not enticing in sweltering heat!

Others say, the visit to Beijing is not complete if you miss the Great Wall or Beijing Roast Duck. We did both. The Great Wall of China, also UNESCO World Heritage Site, dates back to Qin dynasty (though unfortunately the section from Qin dynasty is already much in ruins) to the existing main wall that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Spectacular and magnificent the wall is, the only flip-side is the massive crowds walking The Great Wall - BaDaLing entrance.


Though it is not our first time eating Peking Roast Duck, it is our first time  feasting on Peking Roast Duck in Beijing. There are two traditional methods of cooking Peking Roast Duck that have resulted in the two main schools of roast duck preparation: closed-oven method 焖炉 vs open-flame open-oven 挂炉 method.

The oldest technique of closed-oven roasting method originated from BianYiFang 便宜坊 , established in 1861.


Way before the trip, we have made plans to have roast duck everyday. Well, Beijing is all about roast duck. And considering our short stay, having roast duck everyday is actually...hmmm....not going overboard or being overly ambitious. There are so many roast duck food establishments in Beijing.

Duck feast at BianYi Fang: sliced duck pieces with crispy duck skin with moist and succulent duck meat, braised duck liver, duck feet in mustard

Admittedly, I did not appreciate Chinese history when I was young. However, a ten-day trip in China just this end July/early August has become both an eye-opener and educational insight. It started from Zhengzhou 郑州 - Henan province 河南 (considered “中原” central China), explored inwards towards the west of Henan to (1) Xi'An 西安 - Shaanxi province 陕西, Luoyang 洛阳, Dengfeng 登封 then to the eastern side of Henan (2) Kaifeng 开封 and ended in (3) Beijing 北京.

Bottom of this map: Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Kaifeng; top (north of Zhengzhou): Beijing

Henan is a good entry and access point into understanding Chinese history, from the first emperor of China (Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇 - Qin Dynasty) to the last emperor of China (Pu Yi 溥仪 - Qing Dynasty).

Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, is well-served and connected by the China high speed rail (some call it bullet train). The Zhengzhou-Xi'An line takes you to Huashan 华山 and Terracotta Warriors 兵马俑 in about three hours while the Xi'An-Beijing line transports you from Zhengzhou to Beijing in less than five hours. From Zhengzhou, one can also arrange chauffeured car rental limo-service and make separate day trips - one to Shaolin 少林 located in Dengfeng, and Longmen Grotto 龙门石窟 in Luoyang (both on the west side of Henan); and another to Kaifeng (once the capital of Song dynasty, Kaifeng is usually associated with Justice Bao).

Bullet train tickets

As the capital of Henan, Zhengzhou undoubtedly takes Yu cuisine 豫菜 as its main cuisine, being one of China's most traditional and oldest cooking styles and the representative of culinary civilization of Central China.

Meat skewers羊肉串, braised fish maw白扒广肚, Tong Zi Ji 桶子鸡 @Yu Feng Yuan, Zhengzhou 裕丰源, 郑州

Henan cuisine is characterized by meticulous preparation, and especially known for its delicious broth/soup. One good example is Hui Mian 烩面 - a traditional Henan style of braised hand-pulled noodles dating back more than 800 years, in which the essence lies in the broth. The broth is made from boiling then simmering mutton marrow for at least five hours, resulting in a white brothy soup often called "white soup". When serving, the warm broth is served with noodles, accompanied by ingredients such as soybean strands, mung-bean strands, quail egg and woodear mushrooms.

Hui Mian 烩面 @Yu Feng Yuan, ZhengZhou 裕丰源, 郑州

LiYuBeiMian 鲤鱼焙面 is fried carp in sweet and sour sauce served with super-fine noodles. This is a very traditional dish of Henan and claimed to be one of the ten famous Yu cuisine dishes.

Fried carp in sweet and sour sauce with super-fine noodles, served in a restaurant at KaiFeng