Similar to a crabapple and about the size of a ping-pong ball, this fruit, skewered and candy-coated, is a popular treat. Americans may be reminded of candied apples though the hawthorns are much tarter. Recently some vendors have begun experimenting with skewering tangerine sections, slices of bananas and dried apricots all of which are also candy-coated in the boiling sugary mixture. Occasionally you can also find skewers of fruit that have been chocolate-coated. This snack is typically available only in the colder months from late fall to early spring.

This is a cold noodle salad. You basically have the choice of what you want to add to it. There are several options including crushed peanuts, hot sauce, cilantro, and shredded vegetables. It is mixed together in a bowl with a sesame paste based soup and then poured into a bag. It's easier to eat on the spot rather than trying to eat it out of the bag somewhere else.

So you think popcorn is popcorn. How can there be anything special about popcorn? Well, in the northeast there is a traditional method of making popcorn on the street that is perhaps unlike any other method in the rest of the world. You can usually find this special sight (and sound) in a typical night market. The popcorn maker (often a farmer from the surrounding countryside) utilizes an open fire with a special cast-iron pressure cooker in the shape of a cannon. The popcorn kernels are placed inside the belly of the pressure cooker, it's sealed, and then placed over the open fire. The farmer then turns a handle to keep the pressure cooker rotating over the heat and to keep the kernels mixing inside the cooker. After a short time, the farmer gives a loud warning shout to all those nearby and then “KABOOM.” The farmer releases the lid of the pressure cooker and all of the individual popcorn kernels “POP” simultaneously creating an explosion and sound comparable to a hand grenade! All of the kernels of popcorn are blown out of the pressure cooker into a large long burlap sack. The farmer then retrieves the popcorn from the sack and sells it to his customers. An average size bag of this tasty popcorn should cost around 0.5 RMB. A large bag may run as high as 1 RMB.

Available at breakfast and lunch, these steamed buns with meat and/or vegetable fillings make a quick and tasty meal.

Liaoning Cuisine, developed on the basis of Shandong Cuisine, is well known for its unique style. It integrates the quintessence of imperial dishes that spread far and wide among folks and rare dishes of various ethnic groups in China. Thanks to meticulously selected materials and highly skilled preparations, Liaoning Cuisine is well known for its unique colors, aromas and tastes and is spoken highly by Chinese and foreign gourmets.

Famous dishes include Manchou and Han Banquet, Dalian Seafood, Laobian Jiaozi (dumplings), and Haicheng Meat Pies. Zhang Xueliang, a famous patriotic general. spoke highly of four dishes, namely Stir-fried Kidneys, Stir-fried Liver, Fried Meatballs and Stir Fried Day Lilies. Hou Baolin, a famous artist of cross talks, thought Laobian Jiaozi dumplings the most delicious.