What Do Chinese Muslims Eat in the Morning?

Hello everyone, I'm JJ. In this episode of our breakfast journey around China, we've arrived in Kaifeng, a city in Henan. Sitting at the heart of the Central Plains, Kaifeng has been among the most important cities in China for over a millennium. And here's something fascinating. The breakfast street we're visiting today begins at an ancient Chinese-style mosque, and just 500 meters away, it ends at a Gothic-style Catholic church. One street, two houses of worship. That's incredibly rare in a thoroughly secular country like China. It shows just how significant this city was to missionaries in history. Now let's dive in and see what kind of breakfast Kaifeng has to offer. Can I have one with chicken broth? 6 yuan for both? Yes, 6 yuan for both. Okay, that'll be 5 yuan. Hello, can I take a photo of you? Sure, take a photo. Thank you. Handmade noodles. These noodles are aged for a few days. After they're aged, we eat them 3 times a day. These noodles take an hour to age. It's cold when you put it in the bag. Oh. You have to make sure it's firm. Yes, if it's not firm, you can't eat it. You have to make sure it's firm. Is it big enough? Yes, it's big enough. The skin is really thin. But it's very tender inside. It's very tender inside because of the eggs. Yes, yes, yes. And the sauce is really good. It's sweet and spicy. Wow. It tastes great. It's pretty good. China has so many regional foods, some so local that even most Chinese people have never tried them. And in the next breakfast, we'll be trying a plant called Jinjie. It's super popular in central China, but for us northerners, it's something we've never seen before. I'd like an egg pancake. Egg pancake? What kind of food do you want? Jinjie? Is this Jinjie leaves? Yes, this is Jinjie. Jinjie chopped up the leaves. Do you want this egg pancake? Yes. What is this? Watermelon sauce. Oh. You two eat together. Give me another spoon. Thank you. I'd like an egg pancake. This is soy sauce. This is the sauce. Do you want the vegetables? Do you want them all? Yes, whatever looks good. Sesame oil. Thank you. It's so pretty. Oh. Wow. Oh. You... Do all the people here eat breakfast outside? Ha ha. And then, they add oil in here. So you can taste the eggs. Right? And the eggs are very tender. I think if you add this, I don't know what it is, but it must be crispy. It's a very smooth sauce with this kind of crispy little thing. It's great. Guess what sauce is on top? Watermelon sauce. Watermelon sauce? Yes. It's so delicious. What does it taste like? Oh, it tastes like mint. Oh. In China, a small Muslim community follows unique religious and dietary traditions, often living in close-knit neighborhoods. Today, we're wandering down one of these streets, diving into the world of China's authentic halal breakfasts. This flatbread is a staple here, forming the heart of local breakfasts. The region is famous for its delicious soups, and this bread is the perfect companion to scoop them up. We've been selling this for 40 years. Oh, 40 years. It's been 40 years. What does this mean? Add more crispy meat or meatballs in the soup. Oh. Then give me a 20. Okay. Do you want a flatbread? It looks like a ghost. Oh, yes. This flatbread is also very delicious. The original flavor of the flour is very strong. What is this small bowl for? Oh, it's for steaming crispy meat. Yes, yes, yes. This is the dish I'm most looking forward to. This dish is called four-leaf clover. Crispy meat. Is it a cucumber dish? Yes, it's a cucumber dish. Is this flour? Meatballs. Beef meatballs. Wow. These fried meatballs are crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside. This is actually a simple flatbread. Oh. It's so chewy. It's wrapped first and cooked first. That's right. How long has this been open? More than 30 years. Oh, more than 30 years. More than 30 years. It's been sold for a few days. Okay, it's done. Thank you. You're welcome. The skin is dry, so it won't burn. You can try it at home. Do you want to wait? If you want to wait, just ask them to eat. Let's eat over there. Okay, thank you. The shopkeeper said it's been open for more than 30 years. More than 10 years. Do you eat dumplings in the morning? Steamed dumplings. It's good to eat this in the morning. I just had a bowl. Full of juice. I didn't see much difference. It's all the same lamb stuffing. There is no difference. There is a difference. Is there a difference? The shape is different, isn't it? Try it. Is there a difference? There seems to be no difference. It's the same skin, the same stuffing. The only difference is the shape. The shape is different. Shouldn't you dip it in vinegar? Actually, the meat stuffing is delicious with vinegar. How many dumplings do you sell? There are only a few left. Do you sell it in the morning? What time do you usually sell it? 6 or 7 o'clock. It's also home-made red dates. Cut the dates into slices. Put it with glutinous rice and ginger. Put it together and steam it. It should be steamed. Is it steamed? In China, lamb is almost never part of breakfast. It's considered too pricey. And most people only spend a dollar or two on their morning meal. But here, lamb takes center stage. Showing up in dish after dish. And they're really amazing. Try it. It's really good. Most of the customers here are old customers. I bought one for 20 yuan. I'm already full. We have two plates of beef and mutton. Two plates of beef and mutton? It's good for your throat and liver. So we have two plates of beef and mutton. Even the sugar won't go bad. Let's try the Beijing style first. There's a lot of cumin in the lamb. It tastes like barbecue. Roasted lamb skewers. It's really good. It's been stewed for three or four hours. It smells good. A bowl of noodle soup is always a great choice for breakfast. This spot is especially popular because their soup has a unique twist. They add curry powder. It's fascinating how this Indian spice found its way to a less developed city in central China as early as the last century. This is chicken soup. This is chicken bone soup. How long has it been stewed? It's been stewed for three hours. It's ready to be removed. It should be cooled now. Thank you. This is chicken. Chicken. I'll try the soup. There's tendon in it. The soup tastes smooth without the tendon. You can add some chili and curry powder Why do you eat curry? Yes, only Thai rice noodles have curry powder All Thai rice noodles have curry powder Add some chili Add a little Add a little flavor And this This should be the pot I think this soup is very rich It has a lot of vegetables Yes, it has a lot of vegetables It's very fresh