How much do you know about Chinese shaobing?
Shot by Ma Xuefeng. Edited by Li Fei, Ma Xuefeng. Reported by Li Fei. Subtitles by Li Fei.
How much do you know about Chinese shaobing? It has recently been selected by CNN as one of the world's top 50 breads.
Just as CNN says, bread is hard to define, so is shaobing. In China, perhaps everyone's idea of shaobing looks different. Someone says that from north to south, you can eat a different kind of shaobing every day for 365 days and still not finish them all.
Check out the video to know more interesting stories about Chinese shaobing.
If you are in Shanghai, here are some recommendations:
Jinyun shaobing
It is said to be the oldest shaobing of south China, and it's still quite popular in the city.
Every Jinyun shaobing is made on the spot. From the hand-wrapped stuffing, to getting a hot shaobing, it only takes 3 minutes.
Jinyun Shaobing
Why is it so unique? Actually Jinyun is a place in Lishui, Zhejiang Province.
Legend has it that the origin of Jinyun shaobing can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was refining elixirs at the top of ancient Jinyun Mountain. When he was hungry, he would grab a piece of dough and roast it on the furnace wall to eat. Later, after the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven, local people imitated his furnace and baked shaobing.
The craft of making Jinyun shaobing has also been included in the Chinese national intangible cultural heritage list.
Where to buy:
Jinyun Shaobing
Address: 211 Taixing Rd
Xiekehuang
Have you ever tried Shanghai's famous street food xiekehuang? Yes, it's also a kind of shaobing.
Although it's a modern style of shaobing, it has a history of over 100 years in Shanghai.
Xiekehuang
Xieke, which means crab shell, refers to its shape, and also the stuffing — a mix of crab meat, pork, and vegetables. Huang means golden, which describes its color after baking.
Compared to other shaobing, its delicate pastry crust will bring you an unforgettable taste.
Where to buy:
Wangjiasha
Address: 805 Nanjing Rd W.
Huoshao
Huoshao, a flatbread, is a main kind of shaobing in north China. It can be filled with meat and vegetables, just like a burger.
Huoshao
The most famous one must be donkey huoshao in Hebei Province. It is prepared by filling a shaobing with shredded donkey meat and green peppers. The meat is usually served cold, and the shaobing is hot.
Where to buy:
Hejian Donkey Huoshao
Address: 1219 Xinzha Rd
Roujiamo
In Shaanxi Province, shaobing is called mo. And roujiamo, is the one you must try.
The meat – usually a mixture of fat and lean pork that has been braised for hours – is hand-shredded and pocketed in the bread.
Roujiamo
Where to buy:
Jushanke
Address: 1740 Beijing Rd W.
Nang
In Xinjiang, shaobing is called nang, with a recorded history of over 2,000 years.
Nang
Meanwhile, it is the most popular shaobing in Tang Dynasty (618-907) under another name — hubing.
How popular is it?
The Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi was a true enthusiast of hubing. He even wrote a poem "Sending hubing to Yang Wanzhou:"
Where to buy:
Sanfengyuan
Address: 724 Weihai Rd
