Beijing: dumpling recommendation

Easily one of the best bits about travelling to China is the food. It is amazing. And at the top of your list should be dumplings. The great thing about dumplings in China is their ubiquity: they have them in the South, they have them in the centre, they have them in the West, they have them in the East, and they have them in the North. I probably didn't need to run through the whole compass there to get the point across; HOWEVER it is important to note that each place does their own special version of dumplings. In Shanghai you have the ubiquitous xiaolong bao (soup dumplings), in the South there are a million different types of dumplings, the most famous probably being prawn dumplings and siu mai. The list could go on, but I can't be bothered fact checking any more examples. The dumplings of Beijing will always have a special place in my heart though - pork and cabbage filling, light dough wrapper, straight from the steamer, dipped in vinegar... 🤤

Guess what they sell here

One great (and pretty cheap) place to try these pockets of deliciousness is Bao Yuan Dumplings in Beijing. The dumplings are fresh and super tasty; and for millennials they have the option to pay slightly more and get different coloured dough, making the dumplings no more or less tasty but much more 'gram-able. You can probably tell by the next photo that I'm cheap and just got the normal coloured ones. There is a huge number of options to choose from, but if you are visiting Beijing the "classic" dumpling is pork with chive, or pork with cabbage, and it is a true flavour sensation so I'd recommend you go with that. A final tip - dip the dumplings in vinegar (called "cu" (pronounced tsu, rhymes with "shoe") 醋), not soy.

These were super juicy and delicious

Name: Bao Yuan Dumplings (宝源饺子店）

Address: North of 6 Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing (朝阳区麦子店街6号楼北侧)

How to get there: There is no subway stop that is super close - the place is about a 1km walk from either Liangmaqiao Station (Line 10) or Zaoying Station (Line 14).

Hours: 11am to 10pm daily

English menu? Yes