六必居

Founded 1530 in Beijing's Qianmen district - China's oldest continuously-operating pickle shop, around 500 years old. The name 六必 'six musts' refers to the founders' six quality rules: select the best grain, soak it long, simmer it well, ferment it carefully, time it right, store it properly. The 居 'establishment' makes it 'House of the Six Musts'.

The shop's signboard is famously attributed to Ming Grand Secretary 严嵩 - a controversial calligraphy gift kept on display for centuries. Best-known products: 八宝菜 (eight-treasure pickle), 甜面酱 (sweet bean sauce, the dipping sauce for Peking duck), 黄酱 (yellow soybean paste).