Beijing Offers a Great Menu for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games

The 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing this summer will not only offer a chance to see great sporting events, but it will also be a unique opportunity for western visitors to check out a city that has some of the best cuisine in the world. There are a tremendous variety of eating and dining experiences that should be able to satisfy any palette. Representative foods can be found in Beijing that hail from around the different provinces of China, as well as from around the world.

If you are visiting China for the first time during the Olympic games, you should not miss out the opportunity to exercise your taste buds by checking out some of the local cuisine. There are some many options to choose from. But for westerners, the most well known local dish to try is Beijing duck.

The preparation of Beijing duck usually involves brining for a day and it is then roasted with "five spice" over a slow fire for several hours. At some of the more traditional restaurants, it is usually a wood fire. It is very similar to American style smoked barbecue, only with a slightly different meat and different spices.

When ready, your server will bring the whole duck to your table and slice off pieces of meat onto a plate. You then place the sliced meat onto a rice flour pancake with green onions, and plum sauce. If prepared right, the skin will be slightly crispy and meat will be slightly moist, but not too greasy. For many, the skin is the tastiest part of the meal.

There are many restaurants that serve duck as their main dish. These restaurants range from privately owned food stands on just about every street corner, to the state run national chain known as Quan Du Je, which has several locations throughout the city.

There is also Beijing Da Dong Restaurant. This duck restaurant, very popular with western visitors, offers a menu in English. There are also pictures of each dish with each menu item so you have an idea of what you are ordering.