Last Updated on September 10, 2010 by Nancie
Here we are for another week of Wanderfood Wednesday kindly hosted by Wanderlust and Lipstick. I’m a wee bit late again. Better late than never!
The best place to cure your snack attack in Beijing is here at the Donghuamen Night Market. Open from early evening until 10p.m. You can get there easily by subway. Get off at Wangfujing station (“the shopping street”). The street food here ranges from the ordinary to the unimaginable. The prices are a budget travelers dream. Enjoy the tour.
The crab looked amazing. I can’t imagine trying to eat it on the street. I think you would have to have it “to go”.
Then there was the noodle. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it look delicious.
Now for some of the more bizarre. Thankfully, menus were in English, so if you weren’t quite sure what something was you didn’t have to guess. The prices are in Chinese Yuan. When I was there 100 Yuan was approximately 15.00US.
A sample menu……………………
No bugs or other creepy crawlies passed my lips!
Not on your life!! (or on mine either!)
Who would have thought?
These are such magical creatures. Who could eat one?
I couldn’t imagine eating these either. Although, I am curious to know which part is edible.
Here are a few of the tamer snacks available……………….
What did I try? You’d think looking at all of this food (except for the creepy stuff) that I would have been starved. Just the opposite! This is what I finally had, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why I was attracted to this thing. The taste was good in a weird sort of way, but the fact that it was deep fried twice….ewwwwwwwwwwwww. I nicknamed this thing INSTANT HEART ATTACK!
Someone really needs to tell this lady that she shouldn’t be doing this over the food!
Not to be missed if you’re in Beijing.
For the budget travel this is the perfect spot to eat well, but not blow your budget. For those not on a budget, enjoy the delicious food.
If you enjoyed the tour, please leave a comment. Stumbles and tweets are also most welcome.
You can find more Wanderfood Wednesday right here.
28 responses to “Wanderfood Wednesday — Beijing Snack Attack”
Terrific post, Nancie. This was one of my favorite night markets in China!
Outrageous post and great pictures! I’m not going to judge you at all by what you finally chose to eat – sometimes a person just craves something double-deep-fried 🙂 This makes Taiwan look pretty tame (although we usually don’t get the benefit of English on the menu…)
Very nice pictures! Love the variety offered but no way I will try some of them.
David
Oh my goodness, Nancie! I literally had my hand clapped over my mouth scrolling past those creepy crawlies! YIPES!! Love that you posted them though. 🙂
Thanks Krista. That’s how I felt when I was walking around. I never knew what weird and wonderful (or maybe not so wonderful) snack I was going to encounter next.
Thanks Krista, Some of these “snacks” are a little unbelievable.
G;lad you enjoyed it. The English menus did help!
Thanks Carrie. This was at the top of my list too.
Seahorses and starfish on a stick are definately the weirdest things I have ever seen to eat.
First time I have ever seen them offered as food. My jaw dropped 🙂
Oh no! Cricket, scorpions and worms ok, but beetles?? Sea horses and sea stars reek indeed of magic and I wouldn’t eat them only for this reason. Although I’ve heard that the stars have a sort of juice inside, and that’s the part to be eaten. Not sure though, never tried nor seen anybody eating them…
Fantastic pictures! I’m starting a trip through Asia in less than a month and my ambition is to taste all the insects and other “creepy stuff” I can possibly find! So far it’s been only scorpions and crickets.
Any recommendations?
I loved this market – so much fun! My favorite was the squid tentacle on a stick…wanted to go back for seconds, but had to save room for everything else. Tried to sample as many interesting foods as possible!
Wow those are some crazy little critters to be eating! I’ve had rattle snake and frog legs before, and I can’t wait to try other exotic foods. Not too keen on the centipedes though.
Bugs don’t do it for me at all. Frog legs are good. I’ve also eaten my share of raw fish. Here in Korea there’s these raw fish that are still moving when you eat them. That was strange!
creepy crawlers indeed.. sorry but ewwwwww! I love food but none of those for me!
The bug definitely NO. Some of the other stuff is good.
not sure I will be eating there even if it is budget.. to many strange creatures around. Though the sweet stuff looks good (are there any strange creatures hiding in the middle?)
I think you’re safe with the sweet stuff. Although, the sugary syrup on just about everything sweet really turned me off 🙂
I love the squid on a stick. I used to eat that in Taiwan.
I’m with you Angela. I’ve never known anyone to eat a sea horse or a star fish either.
Not sure I will be eating there even if it is for the budget traveller. How can you eat seahorses – my favourite little creatures? I can’t imagine any of it being eatable or tasty! Though the desserts (as long as no strange creature is hiding away) looks wonderful!
I hear you. I didn’t eat the bugs or the sea horses. This is the first time I had ever seen sea horses or starfish offered up as food. I was totally surprised. I love trying local food, but usually avoid what I consider totally weird 🙂
I hear you. I didn’t eat the bugs or the sea horses. This is the first time I had ever seen sea horses or starfish offered up as food. I was totally surprised. I love trying local food, but usually avoid what I consider totally weird 🙂
OMG, those centipedes look so not appetizing. How can people eat that?! wow! I have a weak stomach for such “delicacies”.
Wow, great collection of weird food! I have to collect all of my boldness when I’m in Beijing!
Yes, Dina. Some of that stuff requires courage along with the boldness!!
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