If Taiwan is to Milk Tea, Beijing is to Yogurt #BeijingYogurt 北京酸奶

Let's give it to Taiwan when it comes to milk tea dominance.That industry is not just huge in Taiwan it extends beyond even as far as China. When I google "best milk tea in China" while in Shanghai, the search generated "COCO" as the favorite.
Read: COCO FRESH TEA AND JUICE: the Best Milk Tea in Shanghai and beyond.

Not in Beijing though. In the streets of the capital, there is one refreshment that is undoubtedly unrivaled -- Nai Lao or popularly known as Beijing Yogurt.

 #BeijingYugort 北京酸奶 

Beijing Yogurt or 北京酸奶 is a traditional fermented milk popular in northern China. I didn't know about this until the afternoon when we left our hostel to wander around the city. Since our hostel is located in a hutong district, we had to go through narrow streets with lots of small shops and store like the one below selling all sorts of snacks and refreshments.

In was afternoon and the spring breeze was already felt when I noticed people gathered around a table in front of the store. On the table and boxes are white porcelain containers which caught my attention.

Many vendors now serve suān nǎi in disposable plastic cups but the best way to drink it is by traditional way --- in white ceramic containers. Cool!

That said, you have stay a while in the store where you buy it and finish before you leave because you cannot bring home the container with you. Since it's porcelain, it's heavy and it feels like there's lots of yogurt in it only to realize that there isn't much actually. Deceptive? yeah, but forgivable, because it is really delicious and for a non-local like me, drinking it in a porcelain is really the fun part.

Each costs 5 RMB (roughly 35 pesos) in the Hutong district.

I think I drowned three or four bottles of it in the first store. And again when we were at the park next to the Olympic Stadium . Here, each serving costs 7 RM ( 46php) each. A little more expensive but if it is drinking this Beijing iconic drink in the backdrop of the Bird's Nest then go for it!

This mini-post is part of my Beijing Series. More on the place soon.

YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ:

--NANJING to BEIJING via Sleeper Train #CRH
--HAPPY DRAGON HOSTEL Beijing : Budget Accommodation in a Hutong District


Also on CHINA:
Shanghai : http://www.pusangkalye.net/search/label/Shanghai
Nanjingi: http://www.pusangkalye.net/search/label/Nanjing%20China

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