Wokipedia: D is For ...

“Wokipedia” is a regular magazine column in which we introduce aspects of Chinese gastronomy, one letter at a time.

… dabao 打包
You’re starving and the prices on the menu seem so reasonable and, what the heck, you’re all sharing anyway so let’s order tons! Before you know it, you have enough food left over to feed a battalion of rebel raccoons. Here’s where you yell, “Fuwuyuan! Dabao!” They’ll rush over with flimsy plastic containers and even flimsier plastic bags. Just be sure to actually eat those leftovers so the food and the plastic don’t go to waste.

… danta 蛋挞
Egg tarts are an anomaly of Chinese desserts: creamy, sweet and very rich. Now that we can get them anywhere from KFC to Gung Ho! Pizza, they don’t feel quite so special, but imagine the early days of discovering the treat, biting into that silky custard buoyed by a flaky crust. To get the best in Beijing, head to Vasco’s at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, or Camões at the Legendale.

… Dazhong Dianping 大众点评
If you’ve been living anywhere but under a rock, you’ve probably heard people talking about this website, Dianping.com. There’s no better way to keep tabs on where the local Chinese community is pigging out. Of course, it helps if you can read Chinese, but if you don’t, you can still find your way around their restaurant listings, vouchers and group deals. Keep an eye on TheBeijinger. com, where our Dianping guides show you how to work the system. We also give periodic updates on not-to-be-missed deals (including at Western eateries).

… durian (liulian 榴莲)
You have to wonder about the first guy who came upon this enormous, spiky fruit, sniffed its scent (bananas gone bad), and decided to hack it open. Then you have to wonder what made him paw apart the slimy pods and actually take a bite. A friend once argued that if you don’t like something, it’s probably because you’ve never had a good version of it. The durian tests the limits of that theory. With its challenging flavor profile of ice cream, onion, egg and just a hint of gasoline, it’s like the Everest of Asian cuisine. Are you game?

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo: sassyhongkong.com