Tianjin is the birthplace of jianbing, but here in Beijing there is no shortage of this street food. In researching how to make our own version of this street snack, we are shamelessly eating jianbing as we see fit (which is often).
This stand outside the Wukesong Photographic Equipment Center appealed because 1) this Beijing variation was fragrant with toasted black sesame seeds sprinkled on top, and 2) they were enormous. For 2.3RMB (40 cents) we got this one-pounder, two-egg jianbing monster that pretty much served as breakfast, lunch, and at least half of dinner.
Here is the step-by-step birthing of a jianbing.
1. A crepe-like batter is spread over a cast iron griddle and spread out into a thin circle
2. One (or two) eggs are cracked on top of the crepe
3. The yolks are broken and the eggs are scrambled and spread into a thin layer over the crepe
4. Once the eggs have set, the crepe is flipped over
5. The sauces – a sweet bean paste, or hoisin (tianmianjiang 甜面酱), hot sauce, and a pink paste (we think fermented tofu) – are lightly brushed on top with a paintbrush
6. Scallions and cilantro (and sometimes some type of pickled radish) are sprinkled on top
7. The bing – a deep fried cracker – is placed in the middle of the crepe
8. The crepe is wrapped around the bing
9. The whole thing is folded into a rectangle , and the knife breaks it down the middle – crack! crack! crack! – and it is folded in half
10. Then the whole thing is tossed into a plastic bag and served
And there you have it, ten easy steps to the perfect breakfast/lunch/post-bar snack. Stuffed into a plastic bag, and consumed hot, lukewarm, or cold – it’s pretty much all delicious. Next, we will track down the best vendor in Wudaokou and weasel out tips on how to make this addictive tastiness at home.
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL POST and makes me want to travel to Beijing immediately.
Your series of photos captures the making of the crepes sensationally, and your text supports them well.
CONGRATULATIONS on a great site – @frombecca Sydney AUSTRALIA
This looks delicious and makes me miss Beijing. If you catch any folks making 蛋饼 or 肉饼, can you please take some step-by-step photos of that? (hi christine! jen, nice to meet you in the blogosphere!)
helen, isn’t danbing a shanghai thing? Or am I completely wrong?
hey this is available throughout china
hav eaten this in so many places in and around beijing as well as smaller counties like anping, angoa
its crepe is made using different types of flours besides refined flour like of maize flour, ragi flour, etc
Thanks — we’ve eaten it elsewhere as well
If you have any ideas about the specific proportions of different flours, please let us know.
Pingback: Jian Bing | You're not from around here are you?
had it so many times in beijing and harbin….delicious!!!
Pingback: Frivolous Friday: In Praise of Jianbing ?? « mambo-admin.com
They look delicious, but alas I cannot find them here in Toronto, Canada. I will have to learn how to make jianbing to satisfy my cravings.
Pingback: Welcome to Beijing ! « Paris Pékin par le Transsibérien…
but how is the crepe paste done? and where can I buy those crackers… outside china.
we have another set of blog posts that explain the many steps it takes to make a jianbing. we made both the crackers (from wonton skins) and batter from scratch. both are easier than may appear!
Dear “The Ladies”,
Are you still based in Beijing? I am going to Beijing next weekend (Fri Oct 21- Sun Oct 23) to study, research, and try to find all the best JianBings in Beijing (& maybe Tianjin for half-a-day as well). If you are still in Beijing, it would be great to meet you and get your recommendations for where to find the best JianBings around town (can you provide a list of at least 5 of your favorites?)
I live in Hong Kong now, but used to study Mandarin in Beijing back in 1998.
My mobile is +852 9180 5160, or you can email me at brian.goldberg@sgcib.com (preferred, as I have Blackberry access all the time) and/or briangoldberg711@gmail.com (less ideal).
Hope to hear from you.
Brian