Baodu

Baodu (Chinese: 爆肚; pinyin: bàodǔ) is a halal tripe dish that is part of Beijing cuisine. It is traditionally prepared by the Muslim Hui people.

Bao du

History

It was first recorded in the Qing dynasty. There are many restaurants and street peddlers selling it in Beijing, such as Baodu Feng, a traditional and well-known restaurant established in 1881.

Description

Traditionally, customers at a baodu restaurant can order various different cuts of lamb or beef tripe to their liking.

Cuts

• Beef tripe (mainly divided into four parts)
  1. 百叶: Rumen (black)
  2. 百叶尖儿: Omasum (white)
  3. 肚仁儿
  4. 厚头
• Lamb tripe (mainly divided into nine parts; as lamb is more tender than beef, more cuts can be used)
  1. 食信儿: Oesophagus
  2. 肚板儿: Rumen
  3. 肚领儿: An uplift of the rumen
  4. 肚仁儿
  5. 肚芯儿
  6. 葫芦: Reticulum (or second stomach)
  7. 散丹: Omasum
  8. 蘑菇：Reticulorumen
  9. 蘑菇头: The bottom of the reticulorumen

Cooking techniques

The dish is made of fresh tripe or fresh lamb tripe which is first cut into slices and then simply blanched in boiling water rapidly. Despite it its simplicity, the dish is a test of a cook's ability, requiring rich experience and superb cooking skills to control the time and heat to prevent the tripe from toughening.

Seasoning

The seasoning is mainly a mixture of jiang doufu, sesame paste, and a savory paste made from the flowers of Chinese chives. Additionally, ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, coriander, or chopped green onion can be added according to taste.