What to eat: craving crustaceans
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Mala shisanxiang from Chong Er Xiao Guan. Photos: Courtesy of chong Er Xiao Guan |
For all the seasonal foods in China, there is one in particular that seems to polarize expatriate diners: the humble crayfish.
But those who hesitate when faced with the small crustaceans' waving feelers and raised claws are missing out on a cuisine that goes beyond simple flavor and into the realm of a (very) hands-on dining experience. Ma xiao, the truncated term for mala xiaolongxia - hot and spicy crayfish - is a cult dish each spring and summer in Beijing, most popularly consumed on Guijie, the home of hot pot on Dongzhimen Nei.
Don't let Guijie fool you - there's far more to mudbugs than their presentation buried amid searing chilies, and assuming otherwise is a definite underestimation of the Chinese people's pursuit to satisfy both mouths and stomachs. After thorough investigation and the donning of many plastic gloves (the better to grip your grub without getting covered in peppery juices), Lifestyle's found some of the more decent venues where crayfish lovers can get down to business.
Chong Er Xiao Guan (虫二小馆)
Located in quiet Gulou Xidajie, this is a special restaurant dedicated to crayfish. Opened last August, Chong Er now offers a total of 16 crayfish dishes, and can include them in other menu choices as well. "For example, we serve crayfish gedatang [a thick, flour-based soup], which is a staple food in northern China, while we make crayfish paofan [soaked and cooked rice in soup] for southerners," Lu Ning, one of the owners, told Lifestyle. "For the rest, we chose some specialties of crayfish cooking from all over China, and their tastes are unique and various. Many of them are extremely popular in Jiangsu Province and Shanghai."
Why, then, is the crayfish popular in Beijing? It's a freshwater crustacean, something that doesn't occur naturally in this region.
Lu has his own opinion: "Chinese people have a tendency that if something is more difficult to cook, then they want to try it even more. They are more about enjoying the process, so there are many ways to cook crayfish."
For example, take Chong Er's version of ma xiao: mala shisanxiang, unpeeled crayfish that go through a dozen preparation procedures before serving. The crayfish are first fried, then added to a homemade soup for flavor before being stir-fried. Next, they crayfish are soaked in shisanxiang, a unique mixture of many spices. Finally, the frying and soaking steps are repeated, Lu explained.
Another specialty whole crayfish dish, jianggu longxia, is a non-spicy alternative to ma xiao, a mixture of crayfish and pig spines. "This dish borrows the flavors of crayfish and pork. It is an interesting experience," Lu said.
Lu's restaurant usually sells over 50 kilograms of crayfish each day, all of which are imported from Xuyi, Jiangsu Province. "Not many places can produce good quality crayfish. I think it's better to eat crayfish grown in freshwater aquiculture. Few restaurants in Beijing can provide genuine crayfish from Xuyi, especially those in Guijie." Indeed, the crayfish meat on offer at Lu's place is an impressive reddish-yellow, the colors more commonly seen at the height of the season in June through August.
Miss Zhang, a frequent visitor, comes to eat crayfish at Chong Er almost every two weeks. "I've tried almost more than half of their dishes. I usually go to Shanghai on business, and their Xuyi way of cooking crayfish reminds me of the genuine taste in Shanghai."
Miss Chang, another customer in Chong Er that same night, heard about the place through a friend. Though she only has come a mere three to four times, she's got a favorite dish - mala shisanxiang - and has begun to bring her own friends here. "I like their innovative way of cooking crayfish, which is not like the one way they have of serving crayfish in Guijie," she said.
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