What is in season in Beijing. and what to order when the market changes.

Spring

  • Chunbing (spring pancakes): Thin steamed pancakes rolled around shredded pork, eggs and stir-fried vegetables for Lichun, the custom called biting the spring. Neighbourhood shops such as Feng Yuan near Tiantan serve the full spread.
  • Wandouhuang (pea cake): A classic spring product once common at temple fairs, now sold year round at Huguosi Snacks and Laohuihui. The pale yellow pea paste is cool, smooth and lightly sweet.
  • Douzhi with jiaoquan: The sour fermented mung bean drink is a breakfast all year, and Beijing's tourism portal calls it a special pleasure in spring. Yin San Douzhi opens at 05:30 and shuts at 12:30.

Summer

  • Zongzi (leaf-wrapped rice dumplings): For the Dragon Boat Festival, time-honoured shops sell zongzi: Emei has Kung Pao chicken zongzi, and Daoxiangcun bags nine fillings, including one with Beijing-style shredded pork.
  • Yanji cold noodles: Huatian Yanji, founded in 1943 by a Korean woman, draws summer queues for its Yanji-style cold noodles, eaten bowl in hand or on the window ledge outside its Xisi North Street shop.
  • Crayfish on Guijie: Summer nights on Guijie belong to crayfish. At the 2026 crayfish festival, Hu Da and Hua's Restaurant served ten flavours, among them Sichuan spice, garlic, braised and thirteen-spice.

Autumn

  • Hairy crab: Autumn is crab season. The city's autumn food map sends diners to Tong Chun Yuan, Dongxinglou and Huda for roe-filled hairy crab, mantis shrimp and crayfish.
  • Zhizi kaorou with Beibingyang soda: Beef and lamb sizzle on an iron griddle at Kaorouji, Baqi, Liuji and Dahuaishu, drunk with a bottle of Beibingyang soda or a shot of erguotou, as the city's autumn food map suggests.
  • Chestnuts and candied hawthorn: Sugar-roasted chestnuts and glossy candied hawthorn skewers, tanghulu, arrive with the first cold. The city's autumn food map lists Qiulixiang on Di'anmen West Street and Maji in the Niujie Halal Supermarket.
  • Jingbajian and mooncakes: A box of Jingbajian, eight signature Beijing pastries, sits beside Beijing-style mooncakes in the city's autumn guide, with Daoxiangcun's Zero store and Fuhuazhai among the shops it lists.

Winter

  • Instant-boiled mutton: Copper-pot mutton is the winter table. Donglaishun cooks Inner Mongolian lamb in seconds in clear broth, and the city's December hotpot guide adds Yangfang in Changping, where a mutton hotpot festival ran to 31 January 2026.
  • Lamb spine hotpot: Yangxiezi stews lamb vertebrae until the meat falls tender, and the city's December hotpot guide calls it one of Beijing's signature delicacies. Beiping San Xiongdi on Guijie lists it among its dishes.
  • Spring Festival jiaozi: Families fold jiaozi for the Lunar New Year and hide a coin in one for a lucky year. Pork, leek and cabbage fillings are chosen for puns on all things going well, long life and wealth.
  • Chrysanthemum banquets: Fangshan and Pinggu serve edible chrysanthemum banquets in winter, with fried flowers, salad and petals dipped in the hotpot. Daxingzhuang in Pinggu is China's largest producer of edible chrysanthemum.

Book food experiences in Beijing

See all 962 bookable experiences in Beijing

← Back to Beijing food guide