The 2026 Edition · Field-tested picks
Ranked, priced, and verified: 15 packaged favorites you can buy by brand (White Rabbit, Weilong, Wangwang) plus 12 street classics worth the queue. Every pick includes what it tastes like, what it costs, and exactly where to get it — on the street in China or online abroad.
15
Packaged picks
12
Street classics
6
Cities covered
How we picked
Picks are based on local market research, community threads where Beijingers name their own favorites, and our editors' street-level field notes. Packaged snacks are ranked by a 5-point rating system; street classics by popularity across the six cities we cover. Prices were checked on-site and online in 2025-2026.
The brands locals actually buy — with prices in RMB and online, ratings, and where to find them. Editor's Picks are marked; you can't go wrong starting with those.
大白兔奶糖 · dà bái tù nǎi táng
Brand: White Rabbit (大白兔)
The most famous Chinese candy worldwide. Creamy milk chews wrapped in edible rice paper. A Beijing Reddit favorite and the #1 souvenir candy in China for over 60 years.
Buy: Supermarket / Buy online
$3-6 per bag on Amazon
卫龙魔芋爽 · wèi lóng mó yù shuǎng
Brand: Weilong (卫龙)
The most recommended snack in the r/beijing 'favorite Chinese snacks' thread. Chewy konjac jelly strips in a fiery Sichuan-style marinade. Addictive, cheap, and sold everywhere.
Buy: Supermarket / Convenience store / Buy online
~$1 per pack on Amazon / Oriental Mart
糖炒栗子 · táng chǎo lì zi
Brand: Street vendors (街头摊贩)
Winter street classic — chestnuts roasted in a giant wok with sugar and black sand. Reddit users note supermarkets don't sell these: you buy them from the street vendor with the iron wok and the heavenly smell.
Buy: Street-fresh
Not available online — eat on the street
驴打滚 · lǘ dǎ gǔn
Brand: Supermarkets (Wumei, Meilianmei, Hualian) (物美 / 美廉美 / 华联)
Glutinous rice roll filled with red-bean paste, coated in soybean flour — named for its resemblance to a donkey rolling in the dirt. Reddit's Beijing locals say it must be eaten the day it's made, sold fresh at local supermarkets.
Buy: Fresh at supermarket / Beijing
Not available online — buy fresh in Beijing
辣条 · là tiáo
Brand: Weilong / various (卫龙 / 各品牌)
China's most iconic cheap snack — chewy seasoned wheat gluten strips drenched in chili oil. Reddit describes it in one word: 'goated'. Sold at every convenience store for pocket change.
Buy: Convenience store / Supermarket / Buy online
~$5-10 per box on Amazon
黄飞红麻辣花生 · huáng fēi hóng má là huā shēng
Brand: Huang Fei Hong (黄飞红)
Crispy peanuts with dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns — the numbing, crunchy snack Reddit users call 'perfect with ice-cold beer'. A Sichuan export that conquered the whole country.
Buy: Supermarket / Buy online
~$6-10 per bag on Amazon
洽洽香瓜子 · qià qià xiāng guā zǐ
Brand: Cha Cha (洽洽)
Roasted and spiced sunflower seeds — the quintessential Chinese road trip, mahjong, and movie-night snack. Cha Cha is the market leader; caramel-flavored seeds are a modern cult favorite.
Buy: Supermarket / Convenience store / Buy online
£1.35-3.05 per bag on Oriental Mart
老四川五香牛肉干 · lǎo sì chuān wǔ xiāng niú ròu gān
Brand: Lao Sichuan (老四川)
Chewy, intensely savory five-spice beef jerky — a Reddit-recommended classic that's been a Chinese pantry staple for generations. Pricier than other snacks but worth it.
Buy: Supermarket / Buy online
~$10-15 per bag on Amazon
山楂片 / 山楂条 · shān zhā piàn / shān zhā tiáo
Brand: Various (各品牌)
Discs or strips of pressed hawthorn fruit — sweet-tart and nostalgic. Listed by Reddit users and every 'childhood snack' list as a must-try. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Buy: Supermarket / Convenience store / Buy online
~$4-8 per bag on Amazon
稻香村糕点 · dào xiāng cūn gāo diǎn
Brand: Dao Xiang Cun (稻香村)
Beijing's most famous bakery brand since 1895. Red-bean cakes, walnut cakes, and the legendary su-style pastries — the #1 gift box locals actually buy. Found in every Beijing supermarket.
Buy: Supermarket / Bakery
Limited on Amazon; buy in-store
旺旺仙贝 · wàng wàng xiān bèi
Brand: Wangwang (Want Want) (旺旺)
Light, crunchy rice crackers dusted with savory seasoning — the childhood snack of a generation of Chinese kids. Reddit lists them alongside the white-and-blue milk drinks as nostalgia staples.
Buy: Supermarket / Convenience store / Buy online
~$5-10 per bag on Amazon
虾片 · xiā piàn
Brand: Various (Oishi, Nongshim) (各品牌)
Puffy, crispy prawn crackers that dissolve on your tongue. Sold in spicy and original flavors at every corner store. Deep-fried fresh versions are a Cantonese home-cooking classic.
Buy: Supermarket / Convenience store / Buy online
£1.25-1.50 on Oriental Mart
煎堆 / 麻团 · jiān duī / má tuán
Brand: Fresh or frozen (现做或冷冻)
Fried glutinous rice balls coated in sesame, filled with sweet red-bean paste. Best fresh from the fryer, but frozen versions are sold in Asian grocers worldwide.
Buy: Street-fresh / Asian grocer
Frozen at Asian grocers
核桃酥 · hé táo sū
Brand: Various (Dao Xiang Cun, local bakeries) (各品牌)
Crumbly, buttery shortbread packed with chopped walnuts. A classic Chinese bakery staple sold in gift tins — pairs perfectly with tea.
Buy: Supermarket / Bakery / Buy online
~$8-15 on Amazon
龙须糖 · lóng xū táng
Brand: Street vendors / gift shops (街头摊贩 / 特产店)
Thousands of impossibly thin sugar threads wrapped around a peanut-sesame center, hand-pulled like silk. A traditional Beijing street snack that doubles as a performance — and a perfect gift.
Buy: Street-fresh / Gift shop
Limited; best bought fresh at tourist streets
Twelve street snacks worth the queue — each with its home city, the price you should pay, and a full guide.
Jianbing · 煎饼
Savory, crispy, with a satisfying chew from the egg and crunchy wonton cracker inside.
Xiaolongbao · 小笼包
Thin-skinned dumplings filled with hot savory broth and pork. Burst-in-your-mouth rich and satisfying.
Roujiamo · 肉夹馍
Rich, slow-braised pork in a crispy-chewy flatbread. Deeply savory with warm spices like star anise and cinnamon.
Shengjian Bao · 生煎包
Pan-fried bottom is crispy golden, top is soft and fluffy. Inside: juicy pork filling with hot broth.
Mala Tang · 麻辣烫
Numbing and spicy broth customized to your heat tolerance. Choose your ingredients, they cook them in a single pot.
Liangpi · 凉皮
Cold, slippery noodles in a tangy sesame-vinegar dressing. Refreshing with a gentle heat from chili oil.
Dan Dan Noodles · 担担面
Intensely savory with a deep sesame-tahini richness, cut by sharp chili heat and numbing peppercorns.
Lamb Skewers · 羊肉串
Smoky, cumin-heavy grilled lamb with a charred exterior and tender interior. The cumin aroma hits you before the taste.
Zhajiang Mian · 炸酱面
Thick wheat noodles topped with a dark, savory fermented soybean paste stir-fried with diced pork belly. Served with fresh cucumber, bean sprouts, and radish shreds.
Mapo Tofu · 麻婆豆腐
Silky soft tofu cubes in a fiery red sauce of chili oil, fermented black beans, and Sichuan peppercorns. The numbing heat builds slowly and lingers.
Cheong Fun · 肠粉
Silky, translucent rice noodle rolls steamed fresh, drizzled with sweet soy sauce. Can be plain or filled with shrimp, beef, or char siu pork.
Tanghulu · 糖葫芦
Sweet hard candy shell giving way to tart fruit. The classic hawthorn version is intensely sour-sweet.
In China · supermarkets
Hema, Yonghui, and Wumei carry the full brand lineup with the lowest prices — White Rabbit from ¥10, Weilong konjac from ¥5. Look for the shelves near checkout; that's where the national favorites live.
Online abroad
Amazon stocks White Rabbit ($3-6/bag) and Wangwang; Asian platforms Yami, Weee, and Sayweee ship most brands in the US, Oriental Mart in the UK. Expect 2-3x the China price.
Bringing them home
Sealed, commercial packaging passes US/UK/AU customs. Keep labels intact and declare everything. Our customs guide covers the exact rules — and which snacks to avoid packing.
Customs & packing guide →Two families dominate. On the street, jianbing (breakfast crepes), xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and roujiamo (Chinese burgers) are the everyday classics travelers meet first. In supermarkets, White Rabbit candy, Weilong konjac strips, and Wangwang senbei rice crackers are the national favorites — the brands locals actually buy as gifts and souvenirs.
Yes. White Rabbit candy runs about $3-6 per bag on Amazon, and most major brands (Weilong, Wangwang, Huang Fei Hong) ship through Asian grocery platforms like Yami, Weee, and Sayweee in the US, and Oriental Mart in the UK. Prices overseas are typically 2-3x the China supermarket price, so stock up while you're in China.
Plenty: haw flakes, Wangwang senbei, sesame candy, latiao (spicy gluten strips), and White Rabbit candy (dairy-based, so lacto-vegetarian). But watch out — mooncakes and some pastry snacks hide lard or meat. Our vegetarian guide lists every safe pick, and which common 'vegetarian-looking' snacks to skip.
Street snacks run ¥0.5-¥50: chuan chuan skewers from ¥0.5 each, jianbing ¥5-15, a full bowl of yangrou paomo up to ¥50. Packaged snacks in Chinese supermarkets cost ¥5-40 per pack; the same items cost $3-15 overseas. All our picks list both the street price and the online price.
Commercially sealed, packaged snacks are generally allowed into the US, UK, and Australia. Best bets: White Rabbit candy, haw flakes, Wangwang senbei, and vacuum-sealed pastries. Avoid fresh produce, meat, and homemade items. Full customs rules for each country are in our bring-home guide.