Northern · breakfast
Jianbing (Savoury Crepe)
煎饼 · Jiānbing
Northern Chinese breakfast crepe: thin wheat-and-mung-bean batter, egg, scallion, hoisin, chilli, optional crispy cracker.
Jianbing is the most popular Chinese breakfast street food. A thin wheat-and-mung-bean batter is spread on a hot griddle, an egg cracked on top and spread thin, then a savoury wafer (baocui or youtiao) added in the middle. Folded with sweet bean sauce, chilli paste, fresh chopped scallion, coriander, and pickled vegetables. Tianjin claims the original style; Beijing-style adds more complex sauces.
Where to try
Street carts in Beijing, Tianjin and across northern China. Modern jianbing chains (Mr. Bing in expat areas) standardise the dish.
Dietary notes
Wheat (gluten), egg. Vegan jianbing exists; ask.
Other north dishes
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Goubuli Baozi狗不理包子
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.