100 Ways To Drool | Beijing's unique flavor: Luzhu Huoshao

Luzhu Huoshao (Pork entrail stew with bread) is one of the most well-known traditional Beijing street foods. Long considered a luxury, the cuisine is especially prevalent in Beijing. The main ingredients are pork, pork lung, pork intestines, pork liver, tofu, and some may add fermented bean curd or chives sauce. It is served with bing bread.

Much like Stinky tofu, Luzhu Huoshao also has a very strong odor, and it could be a challenge for people who have never tried it before. However, it is still one of the most famous Beijing traditional foods and a must-try for local Beijing people.

Luzhu Huoshao was originated from palace food. Hence, the ingredients were costly for many families in the old days. Nevertheless, many people also wanted to know how the food for the emperor tastes like, so they replaced the expensive ingredients such as pork belly with cheap ingredients such as pork lung and intestines and created their version of "palace food". Nowadays, eating Luzhu Huoshao is more like a custom that Beijing people feel attached to. Not everyone would accept the strong flavor, but people who like it certainly feel connected to it and the traditional Beijing culture. Therefore, you can still find many restaurants that sell Luzhu Huoshao in Beijing or even overseas.