For a taste of home, this Scot did not have to travel far

Since moving to Beijing in December 2018, I've happily made Chinese food the foundation of my diet. I only eat Western dishes once or twice a week. Internationally, British cuisine has never rated well so it's easy to bid it farewell. Yes, some British dishes－like fish and chips－are lovely but most are forgettable.

Any cravings I get for British food are vanquished by seeing it in Beijing's foreign food shops. The availability of, say McVitie's Digestive biscuits, is enough to calm me down. Any desire to consume is gone. There's something about a perceived rarity that fuels a mania in all of us. However, there is one elusive product: Irn-Bru.

This uniquely flavored and vividly colored soda has charmed Scotland since its launch in 1901. The makers, AG Barr, who are based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, say it contains 32 flavors. The recipe is known by just three people in the world. The best I can describe the marvelous flavor is bubblegum. But that doesn't do it justice. On the downside, Irn-Bru's rusty orange coloring stains any clothing it's spilt on and will not wash out.

As for the name, forget any nutritional claims. It was originally called Iron Brew, but the company had to change the name in 1946 because it was deemed inaccurate. The drink is not brewed but it does contain a tiny amount of iron hydroxide.

It's often referred to as Scotland's other national drink. The first being whisky, obviously. I'm not a regular drinker of soda but the Irn-Bru-shaped void got me searching. Technically, it can be bought in China. There are listings on Taobao but the prices are sky-high. Anyone fancy paying 80 yuan ($11) for a 330 milliliter can?

A quick search online reveals an alleged availability in Shanghai. But to my biggest surprise, I learned Irn-Bru has a Russian fan base. According to The Scotsman newspaper, the Moscow Brewing Co produces the "ginger nectar" at five factories under license. The story also claims the drink is then exported across the world. Great, but none of it is in Beijing.

Fortunately, a substitute can be bought on Taobao from the wilds of Inner Mongolia. Dayao Jiabin comes in two flavors: orange and mixed fruit. In my excitement I got the orange soda by mistake. That'll teach me to buy stuff based on its appearance! After I received my package, I went back and ordered the correct flavor.

I can report that the mixed-fruit version does taste similar to Irn-Bru, which is good enough for me. A friend compared the aftertaste to Tizer, another mixed-fruit soda made by the same company. Dayao fruit pop's color scheme is the only disconcerting feature. A brown soda in a green glass bottle is an odd combination. However, pour some into a glass, hold it to the light and the color turns a pleasing amber.

At 41.8 yuan for nine 550 ml bottles, it's excellent value－which is important to a tightfisted Scotsman like myself. It's always a pleasure to discover domestic brands are better than overpriced imports.

Burgers are another example. Donkey burgers and pork roujiamo, aka a Chinese hamburger, taste far better than their American equivalents on sale here. It's got me thinking that there must be a Chinese version of that other Scottish classic, haggis.

Containing a sheep's heart, liver and lungs that are cooked in its stomach, I imagine it would win many fans given China's carnivorous appetite. Any ideas?