Jiān bǐng. The little hut in the background is where we bought them.
This will be the first in a series dedicated to the delicious foodstuffs we find on the streets and in the shops of Beijing. This week, jiān bǐng.
I had seen this curious crepe-like construction on the streets near our subway station and been wanting to try it. Through the glories of Google I searched around and found that my dreamy snack food is called jiān bǐng.
Jiān bǐng is made by pouring a small amount of batter onto a griddle and smoothing it out with a wooden rake. An egg is cracked into the middle of the thin crepe and sprinkled with scallions and cilantro. It is then flipped over, frying the egg, and a thin layer of hoisin sauce is spread on top. A large piece of fried dough is then placed in the center and the crepe is folded into a pocket, placed in a plastic shopping bag (as seems to be the trend with many street food items), and eaten. (See video below for live action shots of this culinary ingenuity).
Yesterday we finally made it over and I had one for lunch. Amazingly flavorful, it had a little crunch from the fried dough and just the right amount of saltiness from the hoisin sauce. The cilantro added the perfect touch (hi Mikey). Seriously, seriously delicious. If anything was to inspire me to stay here forever, it might just be jiān bǐng.
Total cost: ¥3 (44¢)
stepho! that looks damn delicious. keep up the food posts!
NOM!
Steph: please, please promise that part 2 is coming soon!
Does the video cut off at the end because you couldn’t wait any longer to grab the food? I wish that part were included…
Haumph!
Can you send me one? I’m hungry.
Ohh I’ve just come across a fellow bloggers post that includes a RECIPE for how to make your very own jian bing, including the crepe batter. Adventurous cooks click here: http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/05/jian-bing-chinese-breakfast-crepes.html