Meishi Street has a long history. During the Qianlong period, Meishi Street was divided into two. The north of Dashilan was called North Meishi Street, and the south was called Nanmeishi Street.

At the beginning of the 20th century, several famous paper shops appeared in the northern section of Beimeishi Street, so this section was also named "Paper Alley", so Meishi Street was divided into three parts: the west entrance of Langfang Toutiao in the north, and the West Exit of Langfang Toutiao in the south.

To the east entrance of Yangmeizhu Xiejie Street is Zhixiang; from the east entrance of Yangmeizhu Xiejie Street to the north and south to the west entrance of Dashilan Street is Meishiqiao; from the north of Dashilan Street west entrance to the south of Zhushikou West Street is Meishi Street.

According to historical records, since the Ming Dynasty, camel teams have transported coal from Fuchengmen to the city from Xishan mining areas such as Mentougou. The intersection of Dashilan and Meishi Street was now one of the main places for coal trading in the capital.

Later, it gradually developed into a commercial area, and the coal market was abandoned, leaving only its name.

After the mid-Qing Dynasty, Meishi Street gradually developed into a gourmet street.

According to statistics in 1910, there were fifteen famous restaurants and restaurants in Meishi Street and seven in Meishiqiao.

"Chaoshi Congzai" records that there are many restaurants here such as Wanxingju Sauce Pork, Zhimizhai Braised Fish Fillet, Taifenglou Braised Claw Tips, Baijinglou Braised Liver Sausage, Puyunzhai Sauce Knuckles and Sauce Chicken.

In the past, the threshold for large restaurants such as Tai Feng House was high, and most ordinary people in the Meishi Street area stayed away from them for decades.

However, the several snack bars, steamed bun shops, and oil and salt shops on Meishi Street have become people's favorites.

Enyuanju, which specializes in fried dumplings, is well-known throughout the capital.

Although fried dumplings are a snack, ordinary people are not allowed to eat them often. In the early 1960s, I remember that only when my father’s friends came to the house, he would send me to buy eight taels or one kilogram of rice in an aluminum pot, and bring a thermos bottle with me.

beer.

Looking at the adults' mouths, I feel greedy in my stomach. Fortunately, the elders are considerate and there are always more than half left. Before the guests can leave, my place is already in a state of chaos.

My father has two close friends, Li Xun and Zhang Shengyan. We call them "Uncle Xun" and "Uncle Zhang" respectively.

He is a colleague who teaches with his father, and he has similar interests. In his free time, he likes to come to my house to play the piano, sing opera, and eat fried dumplings.

Before the 1970s, there was a shop specializing in Shandong steamed buns on the west side of the middle section of Meishi Street. The shop and factory were integrated into one, with an unobstructed view of the operation room. There was a thick wooden bar one or two meters long on the countertop. One end was flexibly fixed on the wall, and the other end was pressed.

Under the noodle maker's buttocks, the huge piece of dough was shouted "Hey, hey" by the master, and the giant bar was pressed down again and again with the help of the buttocks, which was really enjoyable.

The Shandong noodles steamed buns made there are so delicious that you can eat them like a "cup" in your mouth. They have a crunchy texture that sticks to the green mountains and collapses. It is so delicious that you can't bear to eat it and just chew it dry.

Every afternoon, people would queue up with pots and basins, smelling the aroma of steaming noodles, and wait for pot after pot. The chef always took his time, no more, no less, and completed the quota of several bags of noodles in one day.

, come earlier tomorrow, it will be like the same day for many years.

In the 1960s, a "popular hotpot", which was hotpot-boiled mutton, became popular among the halal restaurants along Meishi Street.

Teacher Chen Jiangong once wrote about the feeling of eating Dazhong hot pot, which was extremely exciting. He called it "the most harmonious hotpot", worthy of everyone. These three words gave Dazhong hot pot more humanistic connotation. The following quote: "I

I feel that something more contemporary than Dong Lai Shun is a "shabu-shabu" method called "Japanese hot pot".

"Japanese hotpot" uses a large square table with a hollow top. In the hollow in the center of the tabletop, there is a large pot with a diameter of about one meter. The large pot is divided into "autonomous areas" with pieces of barbed wire.

People of "*** and pot", regardless of gender, old or young, raw or cooked, can occupy a table, find a space in the pot, and rinse your mutton slices in their own territory.

, while chatting, it really felt a bit like the "Five Races Harmony". To be honest, it was nearly 20 years ago that I last saw the "Five Races Harmony", if it weren't for a German.

When the Sinologist asked, I had already forgotten this interesting scene. Of course, it was also the reason for "cultural shock". This foreigner cared more about "*** and pot" than I did. He once told me,

He came to China to study during the "Cultural Revolution", so he should be considered a "worker, peasant, and soldier student." Then, he suddenly said to me: "The most important thing I will never forget is going to a small restaurant to eat '*** and hot pot'. It's just that I arrived."

I still don’t understand, when did this name come from?

Why is it called '*** and pot'?

"I, who are proud of studying the folk customs of the old capital, were unable to answer. I looked around and talked about him. Finally, I had to tell the truth and wait for me to check. An old man told me that the name was indeed taken from

It means "the harmony of the five ethnic groups". It's true that "everyone can be a Shunyao" Beijinger. Even if you fish slices of mutton in a big pot, you can get such a "great meaning". Don't worry about the "surname" of the Beijingers.

People in Beijing are born to be politicians." In the poor years, non-staple food and fruits seemed to be dispensable luxuries. Walking south from Enyuanju, there is a road leading to Dali Hutong.

At the T-junction, at that time, the common people could not eat the abundant fresh fruits all year round. Only fruits were brought to the T-junction by trucks during the harvest season, mostly small sour pears and green apples.

Several stevedores brought down large shovels and piled them into a pile.

Neighbors came from all over after hearing the news, and instead of using scales, one spade was equivalent to three or five cents, and so on.

The queue was very long, and the mothers-in-law and aunts kept warning people who were trying to "gai Sel" while waiting in line. They also kept telling people in front not to "eat the poor and eat the poor" and to pay attention to the ones behind that may not be available.

Most children in the 1950s and 1960s knew how to feel sorry for adults. Eating snacks was a rare thing, and those who pestered adults to buy sweets always ignored the unpromising children.