Wherever you are in the world, studying hard will often mean many early mornings. In order to get the best start to the day, it is important to get a good breakfast. Whilst this is simple and easy in your home country, perhaps you are unsure of what is on offer for breakfast when you study Chinese in Beijing. This simple guide lets you in on the best breakfast foods in Beijing, allowing you to fuel up and be ready for a whole bunch of new characters and phrases in your classes that day.

For those who want something flavourful, cheap and savoury for their breakfast, instant noodles are a popular start to the day for students and business people alike. Slurping the noodles and drinking the salty, spicy broth will certainly wake you up and give you energy, although they may leave you wanting a lot of water. However, instant noodles are very convenient when all you can get hold of is some hot water and a pair of chopsticks.

Not everyone likes something savoury for breakfast though, and so if you are someone who prefers to begin their day of study in Beijing with a sweeter treat, try the classic you tiao. You tiao are long fried dough sticks, a bit like donuts but without the extra sugar. Pair this with a hot glass of soy milk and you have a dunking delight that will fill you up without harming your wallet. You can buy these tasty treats at many vendors around town, but don’t worry if you can’t find one – even KFC in China sells you tiao.

Dough sticks are great, but carrying around hot soy milk isn’t always easy, particularly if you are dashing off to your class to learn Mandarin. For something much easier to carry and eat, go for a jian bing. This classic breakfast and lunch snack usually costs around 3-5 RMB, and is basically a thin egg crepe filled with a fried egg, crispy bean curd, some veggies and sometimes chili sauce and meat. Folded up and wrapped in a small plastic bag, they are easy to eat on the go, meaning you won’t be late for your Chinese language lesson.

If you have more time to sit down and enjoy your breakfast slowly, then rice porridge is a really great, healthy choice to kick-start your progress as you study in China. Although often eaten more readily in the South of China, rice porridge is still very popular in Beijing and many restaurants and stalls sell rice porridge containing a variety of ingredients. From a plain bowl to sweet, savoury and even sour versions, there is plenty to choose from. Although not everyone likes the texture and consistency of rice porridge, in cold weather it is really comforting and a great way to fight off the cold on that walk to Tsinghua University.

To get the best results when you study Chinese in Beijing, make sure you start the day with a typical Beijing breakfast.