One of the Famous Beijing Specialty Dishes

     Today when I was surfing the internet, there was a shared photo album called special Chinese food on Facebook deeply attracted me. After I clicked on the photo album, I found there are lots of special Chinese foods. Such as goose feet, Fried duck tongue, a deep-fried yellow grasshopper, etc. I saw lots of Americans evaluated all of these foods are too disgusting to eat. Actually, in the majority of Chinese people's eyes, lots of them like special Chinese food very much. Fortunately, I did find my favorite food in that photo album-Baodu, which is made by cooked tripe of sheep or swine.

       Talking about Baodu, in geographical aspect, is the Chinese food. In particular, all most Chinese do not know what this food is; only the people who are from Beijing know what kind of food it is and how delicious it is. BaoDu generates in Beijing of China. Meanwhile, only a few people from other countries like this food. When I was talking with my Chinese friends who are from other parts of China about this kind of food, they do not even know what is that, after I explained what kind of this food it is, same as the Americans answers, they are very curious about how could people eat the animal offal and they refused to eat this food anymore. 

       Chinese foods are broad and profound; the BaoDu represents the culture of Beijing. It is a Beijing snack, lots of old men who are live in Beijing like this food very much because BaoDu has a long history in Beijing, it began to be popular when Qianlong Period, Qianlong is the fifth emperor in China in Qing dynasty. After BaoDu had created, because Qianlong thought this food is very delicious, finally, he decided to let BaoDu become one of the Beijing specialty dishes. Finally, this food was inherited to nowadays. Furthermore, the most appropriate time to eat BaoDu in the fall ends and early winter. There are lots of benefits for to body by eating Baodu. When you are finished eating BaoDu during the winter, it will keep warming on your body. If you want to ask effects of blood of what food filling vital energy is best, the people who come from Beijing will tell you the BaoDu is the best choice. Because it is made from Sheep’s offal, there is very high quantity of energy in sheep’s offal. It is one of most famous nourishing diet in Beijing.

      Because I am from Beijing, when I was young, I also hate this food and thought it is very disgusting, both in looking and tasting. Maybe the reason why I like this food very much now is the family influence. Like my grandfather, he believes BaoDu is the most delicious food in Beijing. Meanwhile, most of my family members like BaoDu very much, especially my father. I remember when I was young, my father tell me the BaoDu is one of the most important culture in Beijing.

       The first time to eat BaoDu, I could not accept this food anymore because the disgusting smell of visceral. But as my father said, that smell is fresh taste rather than raw taste. Everyone believes it smells so bad because it has the connection with the method of work. To make BaoDu, you should following the following steps. First, cleaning the fresh lamb tripe first, cut into thin strips; second, cook with boiling water. However it is different from cook other foods with boiling water. Cooking Baodu must to use a slotted spoon to boil the sheep’s tripe within fifteen seconds. After fifteen seconds it should be fished out, because the sheep’s tripe is very easy to become tough. It is the most important and hardest to master the furnace. If the tripe gets tough, it is hard to mull over and it is not fresh anymore. The reason why I like this food later is because it is indispensable to eat that with sauce. After eating the BaoDu with the sauce, it taste totally different and you will feel it is much better than before. The sauce takes up a very important part in this dish, it is made by right amount sesame paste, add a little bit soy sauce and hot pepper oil. After mix these condiments, cut some chopped green onion and parsley and sprinkle it on the sauce. When you sprinkle the sauce on the BaoDu’s surface, it carries a sharp aroma increases people’s appetite considerably. In addition, it is the best way to eat BaoDu is while it is still fresh and hot. Also, it is the best way to eat BaoDu with the alcohol, which can keep your body warm during the winter.

       Since I already like the BaoDu now, I eat that once a week when I was live in Beijing. But it is impossible to eat that right now because I am living and studying in American. Although there are lots of Chinese restaurants, but is still hard to find BaoDu here. Every time before I coming to American, the last meal I eat would be the BaoDu with my families in Beijing. I strongly recommend this snack---BaoDu, if you have a chance to eat that.