When you come to Beijing, in addition to visiting the Forbidden City, strolling along the Great Wall, and exploring the hutongs, there is a traditional snack full of old Beijing charm worth experiencing – donkey roll .

Golden soybean flour wraps around soft glutinous rice cake, which is filled with sweet and delicate red bean paste. A gentle slice reveals layers of glutinous rice and red bean paste, offering a soft, chewy, and sweet flavor.

A bite of donkey roll brings you the warmest traditional flavor from the streets of old Beijing.

🍡 Soft and sticky glutinous rice paired with sweet red bean paste

The main ingredients of donkey roll include glutinous rice flour, soybean flour and red bean paste.

To make it, first make the glutinous rice into a soft glutinous rice skin, then spread sweet red bean paste on it, roll it into a long and thin cylinder, and finally sprinkle a layer of roasted soybean powder evenly on top.

After being cut into small pieces, the donkey rolls are presented in front of you.

The glutinous rice skin is soft and elastic, the red bean paste is sweet and delicate, and the soybean powder brings a rich soybean aroma.

Soft, chewy, sweet, and fragrant – that's the most captivating flavor of donkey roll.

🟡 Why is it called "donkey rolling"?

When foreign tourists hear this name for the first time, they often find it very interesting:

Why is there a dessert called "donkey roll"?

The name comes from its appearance after it is made, when it is covered with soybean flour.

Soybean flour is evenly coated on the surface of the glutinous rice roll, making it look like a little donkey rolling around in the yellow earth, covered in mud.

Although the name is interesting, this traditional dessert is actually quite delicate.

Interesting names have also become an impressive part of Beijing's traditional food culture.

🏮 Searching for traditional flavors in the streets and alleys of old Beijing

If you want to experience donkey rolls, you can visit a traditional Beijing pastry shop or a time-honored snack shop.

Imagine this travel scenario:

In the morning, visit the Forbidden City and admire the ancient palace architecture; in the afternoon, stroll through Beijing's hutongs and sit down in a traditional snack shop.

Order a plate of donkey roll and a cup of Chinese tea.

The softness of glutinous rice, the sweetness of red bean paste, and the aroma of tea intertwine.

A small traditional snack can also be a way to understand life in old Beijing.

🍵 Enjoy with Chinese tea

Donkey rolls have a sweet and fragrant taste, making them a perfect match for a cup of light tea.

The aroma of tea can balance the sweetness of the red bean paste, making the overall taste smoother.

For foreign tourists, this is also a fun way to experience traditional Chinese afternoon tea culture.

A pastry, a cup of tea, sitting by the window on an old street in Beijing, watching pedestrians come and go.

Only by slowing down can you truly experience the vibrant life of this ancient city.

✨ Why is it worthwhile for foreign tourists to try donkey rolls?

• 🍡 Enjoy traditional Beijing pastries
• 🫘 Experience the classic combination of glutinous rice, red bean paste, and soybean flour.
• 🟡 Learn about the interesting origin of the name "Donkey Rolling"
• 🏮 Experience the traditional food culture of old Beijing
• 🍵 Experience the pairing of Chinese dim sum and tea culture
• 📸 Photographing exquisite snacks with traditional Chinese characteristics

❤️ A piece of donkey roll, a memory of old Beijing

Beijing is an ancient capital with a history spanning hundreds of years.

The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the hutongs record the history of this city, while traditional snacks record the daily lives of ordinary people.

When you pick up a piece of donkey roll, the soybean powder gently falls on your fingertips, and the softness of the glutinous rice and the sweetness of the red bean paste slowly unfold in your mouth.

What you are tasting is not just a pastry, but also a piece of life memory that has been passed down from old Beijing to this day.

When you come to Beijing, you can see the grandeur of the Forbidden City, walk along the ancient roads of the Great Wall, and stroll through the alleyways of the hutongs.

Don't forget to sit down and savor a piece of soft, sweet donkey roll.

Donkey Rolling – a layer of soybean aroma, a bite of glutinous rice sweetness, taking you to savor the gentlest traditional flavor of old Beijing.