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Beijing: In the backstreets of the city’s ancient hutong alleyways , an enterprising Beijinger will sell you perhaps the most unpleasant drink you’ve ever tasted.

Pan Xianhua with his self-proclaimed “worst-tasting” douzhi in all of Beijing.

It’s called douzhi, a traditional drink in Beijing made from fermented mung beans.

It tastes a bit like it smells, which is to say pungently rancid.…