If you're heading to Beijing for the olympics, or simply to experience all this vibrant city has to offer, you've probably already gone through the obligatory travel check list: hotel, plane ticket, attractions to see, etc. But one question may remain: what are you going to eat? Luckily, Beijing expert Jia Thompson has shared some of the best -- and most unique -- dishes you can eat in Beijing. Get ready -- some of them are out of this world!

Up Next: Peking Duck

History: It's pretty much tradition when you go to Beijing to eat Peking Duck. Started during the Qing Dynasty in 1864, a traditional Peking Duck is a delicacy to behold.
Where to Eat: Quan Ju De -- it's so good that leaders from all over the world have eaten there! But the best part? Says Thompson, "When they roast it, the kitchen is open to the public so you can watch it cook. The chef is trained to get 120 pieces of meat off every duck, and each piece needs to have a little skin and a little meat. How they carve it is a part of the show!"

Up Next: Lamb Hot Pot

History: This winter dish started from Mongolian traditions north of Beijing. Much like the duck, the sheep are well selected from a nearby farm, then shopped in.
Where to Eat: A restaurant called Dong Lai Shun. Their Lamb Hot Pot is very famous and fresh, and the seasoning has a lot of heavy-hitting flavors. Part of what makes it so fresh is the raw lamb is brought to your table, where you cook it fondue-style. Just fork a piece of meat, stick it in the pot for 30 seconds, and you're good to go! It's a family-style way to eat.

Up Next: Roast Beef and Lamb

History: Yet another Mongolian tradition, this dish is made somewhat BBQ style, using an iron plate with fire underneath. Once the meat is done cooking you dip it in a special BBQ sauce, but it's not the same as what we're used to in North America. This sauce has a bit more kick, courtesy of fresh ginger .
Where to Eat: "The best place to eat it is a restaurant called Kao Rou Ji, and it's close to the Hutong Tour," says Thompson. That makes it simple to book a must-see and a must-eat on the same day!

Up Next: Camel's Feet

History: Yes, you read that correctly -- camel's feet. So what's it taste like? Says Thompson, "I've seen it and tried it once, but didn't try it a second time because I knew what the name meant when it came around! Most of the time it's seasoned or soaked before it's cooked in a wok."
Where to Eat: At the Imperial Banquet located in the winter palace, the name of the game is a sort-of dim sum-style service of 128 dishes, including shark fin soup, kung pow chicken, and the aforementioned camel's feet. The servers are also dressed in traditional Qing Dynasty style.

Up Next: Clay Pot Pork

History: They call it the other white meat and you usually have it in chop form, but you haven't had it like this. Freshly selected pork is cooked in a clay pot, and the temperature of the pot is key -- too cool and the meat won't cook, too hot and the pot breaks. The cook takes special care to ensure the heat is balanced and allows for slow cooking, but once it's done, the result is perfection. The sauce and seasonings are unique, featuring garlic and vinegar.
Where to Eat: Make a reservation at Sha Guo Ju to partake in this meal -- one that has 200 years of history behind it!

Up Next: Tofu Soup

History: This is one treat that you can get from street vendors, and the execution of the delivery is just as entertaining as finding the dish itself. Tofu Soup features a super-soft tofu mixed with a special sauce that gives the tofu its color and flavor. What's in the sauce? Mushroom, pork, garlic, chili sauce, and wood ear, a type of black fungus from wood that Beijing natives swear is nutritious and helps beautify your skin.
Where to Eat: Just look for a vendor walking around carrying a big stick. They use that with a giant spoon attached to dish the tofu and sauce into a bowl.

Up Next: Beijing Sauce Noodle

History: The authentic name of this local favorite is "Zha Jiang Myan," and while it's relatively simple, it's also deliciously perfect. The noodles are a regular noodle cooked to a nice tenderness, then mixed in with the Beijing Sauce, which is comprised of soy bean paste and other seasonings. Then, those are mixed in with cucumbers, bean sprouts and 10 different kinds of radishes, among other yummy veggies. It may not be a fancy dish, but this is what the locals love for lunch in the summer!

Up Next: Roast Sweet Potato

History: Most of us think of this as a Thanksgiving tradition, but in Beijing it's considered a delicious and traditional winter snack that the street vendors serve to thousands! In fact, the vendors have a giant oven that they roast the potatoes in right in front of your very eyes in order to entice you to buy one. They're red or white on the inside, and sweeter than the orange ones we tend to eat.
Where to Eat: The locals tend to eat them during Chinese New Year. Wander the temple fairs and eat a roasted sweet potato as a snack. It's sweet, hot, and smells super good!

Up Next: Sugared Crab Apple

History: This delectable delight is kind of like a kebab full of crab apples, except the kebab is as long as one and a half feet! The crab apples are super red and have a kick to them -- just a bit sour to make your mouth water -- but that's offset by the real treat: the entire kebab is dipped in hot sugar. Yum!
Where to Eat: This is another treat you get from a street vendor, who sells them by carting around the whole lot in a big, straw mat. And if you really want to be authentic, call it by its Chinese name: Bing Tang Hu Lu.

Up Next: Sour Mung Bean Milk

History: Mung beans are tiny little green things, and when you ferment them for long enough they get very strong and sour, and produce a kind of milk that you can drink - and locals do, with Chinese pickles! As for what foreigners tend to think of it, Thompson says, "Normally the newcomers tend not to like it the first time, but sometimes they're willing to try it again." If you can eat this, you're a true Beijinger!



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