Rotten Beijing duck mascot of 2012

The capital's most iconic dish, Beijing duck, became tainted by a food safety scandal this year, a trend that is noteworthy year after year only because of its endless bizarre and frightening variations.

Unable to stuff enough of the wood-baked water fowl in their mouths, tourists often buy vacuum-packed cooked ducks to take home as gifts for friends and family. In May, the Xicheng branch of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce confiscated 21 bags of counterfeit duck labeled Quanjude, one of the most well-known names amongst the local Anatidae family. People who received bad bags opened them to find rotten meat. Quanjude said the packages were counterfeit.

Another famous brand name suffered a blow to its reputation, but this time counterfeiters were not to blame. The company that produces Jinluo sausages, one of the 500 companies to be awarded the "China's Famous Product" moniker that was created to ensure quality, has apologized for rotten sausages that sickened a little girl.

In August, the girl became sick and was taken to the hospital after eating the processed sausage purchased at a branch of Wu-Mart in Dongcheng district.

The cause of her sickness was black solid matter in the sausages. Although the company offered compensation, and the girl has recovered, her father Hu says, "I have not and will not buy sausages again."

Dining turned deadly outside the capital. A hot pot explosion occurred at a restaurant in Shanxi Province that killed 14 and injured many others, driving Beijing authorities to inspect local restaurants' safety and security conditions. They concluded everything is safe.