Fried beef tripe (爆肚/Bao Du)

[Photo/english.visitbeijing.com.cn]

Bao Du, or fried beef tripe, has been a famous Beijing snack since the time of Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735-1795) of the Qing Dynasty. The snack is mostly made and sold by the Hui. After being cleaned and cut into slices, fresh beef tripe or lamb tripe is cooked in boiling water. It is often served with oil, sesame sauce, vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce, fermented tofu juice, coriander, spring onion and other seasonings. It is tender and crispy, and people often eat it with beer or other alcohol.