Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth (卤煮火烧/Lu Zhu Huo Shao)

[Photo/IC]

This traditional Beijing snack dates back 100 years to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Baked wheaten bread, tofu, pork chop, chitterlings and pork lung are cut into pieces and then boiled in the preserved meat broth. It is served with mashed garlic, chili oil, vinegar, fermented tofu, chives and coriander. Called "lu zhu huo shao" in Chinese, the snack gained popularity among commoners in the olden days because meat was too expensive while the offal was a cheaper option.