The best of bing

Cheap, delicious and varied, Jamie Penaloza tests out the various bings you’ll find around the city

If the hazy Beijing air wasn’t smog, it’d certainly be a dusting of flour: in northern China, wheat is the top crop.

Yes, the bing is this city’s ubiquitous staple – whether a traditional Chinese grilled bread or a sort of crepe – and they’re always served hot, fresh and simply delicious.

When Jean-Georges Vongerichten, renowned chef and restaurateur, lauds something as ‘the best breakfast in the world’, and Evan Osnos, China correspondent for The New Yorker, tapes a battle-of-the-bings online video – you know it’s a big deal.

In a city teeming with skilled dough masters, it’s easy to get more bing for your buck; all it takes is an alert eye for wandering carts and inconspicuous stalls. Cheaply priced at 0.7RMB to 2RMB each there’s every reason to sample and compare each delicious variation.

King of the bing Jian bing

They come in all forms, and with several different fillings, but the jian bing has to be the undisputed king of the bings. It’s ingenious food alchemy. A simple formula of a crepe-like base, a flourish of egg, a swipe of dark and salty tian mian jiang (sweet-wheat sauce), some fresh chilli, green onions and coriander, and you’ve got a filling street treat.

But the real revelation is the crunchy fried dough sheet, which is lightened by air bubble blisters. It’s gloriously superfluous, with no nutritional value or ingredient pedigree whatsoever; its sole purpose is unmitigated textural pleasure.

North-eastern areas such as Tianjin and Shandong are the jian bing’s most famous birthplaces, each possessing their own regional riff. Tianjin-style pancakes are soft and crepe-like, made with wheat and your choice of zimi (purple rice) or ludou (green bean), and flecked with black sesame seeds.

Shandong-style jian bing, meanwhile, are dressed with the same combination of sauces and crunchy wafer, but the crepe base is firmer, drier and slightly chewy, which plays well against an additional fresh lettuce leaf.

The crepe also differs in its wholesome, multi-grain composition. While it’s impossible to determine the very best jian bing in the city – too many contenders prevail – you’ll find excellent ones here…

Tianjin style (Malatang Xiaoyan Jian Bing) Next to 27 Jiaodaokou Dong Dajie, Chaoyang district. Zimi or ludou jian bing for 3.5RMB. 朝阳区交道口东大街27号旁

Shandong style (Zhengzong Shandong Dajian Bing) 28 Mianhua Hutong, Xicheng district. Shandong-style jian bing for 3RMB. 西城区棉花胡同28号

The best of the rest

Zhima bing

A dense but tender puck of bread with a flaky exterior, swirled with layers of nutty, roasted-sesame paste. 

Small shop at 35 Gulou Dong Dajie (across from Nanluoguxiang), Chaoyang district. 1RMB each. 朝阳 区鼓楼东大街35号 (南锣鼓巷对面)

Yousu bing

Ropey strands of dough, twisted then grilled for an addictive, hearty crunch. Light inflections of aromatic spices and tingling Sichuan peppercorn. 

The charming hole-in-a-brickwall at 15 Qianhai Xijie (near Qianhai), Chaoyang district. 1RMB each. 朝阳区前海西街15号

Rou bing

Like dumplings, bing can come with a wide variety of fillings. Gently spiced minced beef inside reflects a west Chinese provenance. 

Dangerously juicy, it’s best eaten hot, streetside, and in the bent-over position.

Qingzhen Xiaochi, 27 Mianhua Hutong, Xicheng district. 1.5RMB each. 清真小吃, 西城区棉花胡同27号

Roujiamo

Shaanxi province’s famous hot pork sandwich. A dense disc of plain bread is split and filled with spice-stewed pork. Depending on your vendor, it’sthen chopped, or layered in thick slices.

Tian mian jiang sauce and lettuce complete this popular fast food. Roujiamo vendors are parked outside Dongzhimen station and the bus terminus, daily. 3.5RMB each. 东直门公共汽车站

Xian’r bing

A thin dough with a crunchy, grilled exterior encases a grassy chive and onion interior. Juicy and full of flavour. 

Corner of Sanzuoqiao Hutong and Qiangan Alley (near Qianhai),Chaoyang district. 1RMB each. 朝阳区三座胡同和千竿胡同

Dalian bing

Named for its rectangular sash-shape, this is an ultra-thin dough parcel filled with lamb, beef or pork, and crisped on the grill. Dip it in black vinegar if you want to take it to the next level.

The Dalian Baked Wheaten Pie, 16 Hucang Hutong (off Di’Anmen Xi Dajie), Chaoyang district. Dalian bing are 10RMB for a platter of six. 朝阳区护仓胡同16号