Let’s talk about public catering first. For public dining, Beijingers mainly eat pasta. The variety of pasta is probably the most representative in northern cities, such as steamed buns, steamed buns, steamed buns, steamed cakes, lazy dragons, silk cakes, dumplings, sugar triangles, pasted pancakes, as well as noodles, steamed buns, and dumplings. etc. Take noodles as an example. There are many ways to make noodles, such as noodles with soy sauce, braised noodles with soybean paste, noodles with shredded pork in soup, honey jam noodles, mutton and carrot noodles, and braised noodles with eggs. Usually people mainly have hand-rolled noodles, knife-cut noodles, knife-cut noodles and stretched noodles. In the past, when Beijing residents were having weddings, funerals, or celebrating birthdays for the elderly, they were most particular about using large noodles as their staple food. Because this large noodle tastes chewy, chewy and has a good texture, one bowl can fill you up for a whole day. Besides, the braised sauce made with sliced ??meat, eggs, yellow flowers, fungus, mushrooms, etc. is so delicious and delicious that everyone will be greedy for it. Pour this kind of topping on it, and add some green beans, soybeans, coriander, leeks and other vegetables to make it taste even more beautiful, making people miss this bowl after eating it. The large noodles stretched out are several feet long, and the people also call them "longevity noodles". Therefore, mentioning the face of Beijing people makes people feel emotional.
Let’s talk about specialty catering. Historical records record that Niujie is the earliest birthplace of Beijing snacks. At that time, a large number of Muslims from the Western Regions entered and settled in Beijing, forming Niujie, where the Hui people gathered. As a result, the food culture of the Hui people was brought to Beijing. For example, the pepper we are talking about now, as well as the dazzling array of spices and seasonings, once refreshed the minds of the Central Plains people and greatly increased their appetite. When it comes to forming regional flavors, it starts with such spices and seasonings, starting with the taste buds and then the appetite.
In this way, Beijing snacks slowly spread over the years, not only among ordinary people, but also into the palace within the red wall, becoming one of the contents of the imperial meal list. It can be said that Beijing’s famous snacks, such as "Baodu Feng", "Sheep Head Horse", "rice cake poplar", "Pie Zhou", "Cheese Wei", "Tofu Naobai"...are still active. It was created by the Hui people. In addition, Beijing’s special foods include Beijing roast duck, bean paste charcoal rings, stewed stew, stir-fried liver, sausages, as well as seasonal pastries, spring cakes, spring rolls, etc.
When talking about Beijing snacks, we cannot fail to mention "Beijing Bean Juice". Mr. Liang Shiqiu quoted Hu Jinquan as saying: "Those who can't drink bean juice are not true Pekingese." Many people know this famous saying, so they are full of ambition and drink heavily from the bowl. However, after one sip, everyone grins. "The beauty of bean juice lies in its sourness, which has a strange smell of rancidity; secondly, it is hot, so you can only drink it by sipping, not gulping it down; and thirdly, the spiciness of the pickles makes the tip of your tongue numb." It seems. Mr. Liang Shiqiu is one of the samadhi masters of Douzhier. In fact, drinking bean juice is not only sour and hot, but also the burnt rings and chili pickles that go with it. The salty aroma of the pickles, the crispiness of the burnt rings, and the sourness of the bean juice offset each other. That’s what it’s called “cool”. If you don’t believe me, try it!
"Statistics are static history; history is flowing statistics." From a vertical perspective, with the development of the times, the catering level of Beijingers is also constantly improving. It is obvious from the trajectory of changes in statistical data that since the founding of New China, Beijingers have experienced an era of coarse grains, an era of mainly fine grains, and an era of mainly non-staple food.
In the 1950s and 1960s, rice, flour, and grains were the main raw materials on the tables of Beijing residents. However, the supply of rice and white flour was intermittent and could only be used to improve their lives. According to Beijing employee household survey data, in 1955, the per capita grain consumption of urban households was approximately 174 kilograms, including 46 kilograms of rice, 74 kilograms of flour, and 54 kilograms of miscellaneous grains. Until 1980, the per capita grain consumption of urban residents basically fluctuated between 160 and 190 kilograms. In good years, they ate more, and in lean years, they ate less. According to urban records, during the Spring Festival, in 1983, each person only received three kilograms of Fu Qiang noodles, one kilogram of miscellaneous beans, one kilogram of glutinous rice, four taels of peanut oil, one tael of sesame oil, half a kilogram of peanuts, three taels of melon seeds, and one sesame paste. Two, two pounds of fish. Until 1989, Beijingers no longer had to rush for rice, noodles, fish, and meat during the New Year.
The sesame flowers are blooming steadily.
Since ancient times, Beijing has been known as “the best district among all the five directions.” Reform and opening up have brought gratifying changes to the lives of Beijing residents. Having enough food is no longer a problem. Grain consumption is declining year by year, replaced by a gradual increase in the quantity and variety of non-staple foods. In 1955, nearly half (47.6) of the food consumption expenditure of Beijing urban residents was spent on grain consumption. By 1990, less than 10% (9.5) of the food consumption expenditure was spent on grain consumption. In 2008, the food consumption of urban residents was The proportion of food consumption expenditure further dropped to 6.7, which has dropped by 40.9 percentage points in 53 years. Residents’ food consumption is gradually changing from grain-based “staple food” to nutritious “non-staple food”. With the prosperity of Beijing's catering industry, the dietary patterns of Beijing citizens have gradually diversified. In 1978, urban residents’ expenditure on dining out accounted for less than 5% of their food expenditure. In 2008, this proportion increased to more than 25%, an increase of more than 20 percentage points.
The Engel coefficient is an important indicator reflecting people's living standards, which means the proportion of food expenditures in consumer expenditures. The richer one's life is, the smaller the Engel coefficient is. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations proposes that those with an Engel coefficient above 59 are considered absolutely poor, 40-50 are considered well-off, and 30-40 are considered wealthy. Statistics show that before the reform and opening up, Beijing residents spent more than 70% of their total living expenses on food and clothing. After the reform and opening up, the Engel coefficient of urban and rural residents dropped from 58.7 in 1978 to 33.8 in 2008; the Engel coefficient of rural residents dropped from 63.2 in 1978 to 34.3 in 2008. The life of Beijing residents has entered a relatively affluent stage.