China: Harbin Food Recap

Harbin cuisine is known as Dongbei cuisine and is a reflection of the city’s history as a major railway hub and its freezing sub-zero winters. The food here is hearty and designed to keep you warm, and uniquely characterized by a blend of traditional Northern Chinese flavors and Russian culinary influences. Among the traditional dishes are Guabao Rou (crispy sweet an sour pork- this is the signature Harbin dish created here in 1900s specifically for foreign dignitaries), De Mo Li (carp fish stew), Jiang Rou (cold-cut pork meat plate), Hongchang (Harbin smoked sausage – basically a Lithuanian-style smoked sausage that is another signature of Harbin), Dalieba (Russian sourdough bread in big loafs), and Luo Song Tang ( basically the Ukrainian borsch). There is plenty of vodka, Harbin famous local beer (this is th oldest beer brewery in China and the beer is a traditional European-style lager), and local cheap alcohol called Northern Baijiu (brutal but flavorful stuff).