Before coming to China I only knew of two types of Chinese cuisine: Hakka, and the terrible American Chinese restaurants that my family wouldn’t dare step into. But since I moved to Beijing, plumbing the depths of the entire country’s various cuisines has been an enlightening experience. Many of China’s provinces have unique cuisines, and part of what makes each taste so distinct is the regional ingredients with which they’re made. Since Beijing draws China folk from all over, we’re fortunate to be able to discover a diversity of food cultures at specialty provincial shops around the city.

The Xinjiang Specialty Product Shop down the street from Gongti south gate is a small shop with a cumin and chili powder drift you smell as soon as you step in. There are various dried fruits, spices, sealed meats and even cheese. The Xinjiang green raisins here come from along the Silk Road. They’re air-dried and have a subtle floral sweetness. I’m not a fan of raisins, in childhood christened the “healthy snack,” so the shopkeeper suggested I try the candied version, covered with suannai. The yogurt covering looks like white chocolate but is actually a semi-hard ball that becomes an odd powdery burst in the mouth with a sweet and sour taste.

I love a good spicy condiment with almost anything, so I always keep a lookout for any type of chili paste, powder or sauce. At the Xinjiang store, I found two similar looking jars of sauce. When I inquired about the difference, the shopkeeper responded in an isn’t-it-obvious tone, “one is spicy and one is fragrant.” Luckily he had a jar of the xiang variety opened already and let me take a sniff. Turns out it’s made with red capsicum peppers cut into threads and marinated with chilies and fragrant oil.

On my way to City Weekend’s new office on Guangqumen Wai, I stumbled upon a Yunnan Specialty Product Shop with lots of delicious imports from China’s southwestern province. Yunnanese food is known for its mushrooms, and I was delighted to see sealed bags of multiple types, including black truffles. But these can be found fresh in wet markets like Sanyuanli, so I snooped around the store for something more exclusive. The colorful rice served in many Yunnan restaurants is sold here for ¥15 for a small bag. China has no shortage of mifan, but this special rice contains cute pink and purple grains and has a sweeter taste than your average bowl of white rice.

Beijing is an international city, and draws Chinese from all over the country. This mix is a big part of what makes Beijing so dynamic, and the tese found at these specialty product enclaves are just one of the culinary benefits.