Shaobing (w=shao-ping), also called huoshao, is a type of baked, unleavened, layered flatbread in northern Chinese cuisine. Shaobing can be made with or without stuffing, and with or without sesame on top. Shaobing contains a variety of stuffings that can be grouped into two main flavors: savory or sweet. Some common stuffings include red bean paste, black sesame paste, stir-fried with egg and tofu, braised beef, smoked meat,
Shaobing is not very well known in southern China, unlike other northern dishes like mantou, baozi, and youtiao. Most Shaobing are popular in the northern part of China. Different types of shaobing are often associated with certain cities and towns.
Shaobing is a common breakfast item. Filled shaobing are usually eaten with soy milk and tea, while unfilled ones are usually eaten with steamed eggs or a breakfast meat dish. In the Beijing cuisine tradition, shaobing are served with hot pot ( huǒguō) in winter or soy milk.
History
Chinese legends claim that the roasted, flat shaobing was brought back from the
Western Regions (the Western Regions, a name for far-
western China and
Central Asia) by the Han dynasty General
Ban Chao, and that it was originally known as (胡餅, ). The shaobing is believed to be descended from the .
Shaobing is believed to be related to the Persian and Central Asian
naan and the Near Eastern
pita.
Foreign westerners made and sold sesame cakes in China during the Tang dynasty.
Types
Huangqiao Shaobing
Huangqiao Shaobing (p=Huángqiáo Shāobǐng) is one kind of Shaobing. It is made of flour, oil, sesame and other raw materials. It is golden in color and crispy on the outside. Traditionally, it is divided into sweet taste and salty taste. Generally, the sweet taste one is round and the salty taste one is long and oval.
Zhoucun Shaobing
Zhoucun Shaobing (s=周村烧饼), is a kind of Shaobing. It is a traditional snack in
Zibo,
Shandong, China, created by Guo Yunlong based on a horseshoe-shaped thick pancake. Its shape is round and thin as paper. The front is covered with sesame seed, the back is full of crisp holes. It is famous because of its special crisp and ability to conserve for a long time.
Magao
Magao (p=Chángzhōu Dàmágāo), or sesame cake, is popular in the city of
Changzhou in
Jiangsu. Changzhou sesame cakes are flat and oval-shaped. The traditional flavors are sweet, salty and spicy. It has golden thin crisp skin. To make Changzhou sesame cake, the chef needs to select the finest pigs suet, white flour, hulled sesame seeds, white sugar, refined salt, etc. other refined raw materials; then bake in a traditional barrel furnace.
Donkey burger
Donkey burgers, or donkey sandwiches are a type of
shaobing that is cut open and filled with meat, and are mostly eaten in
Hebei province.
File:Huangqiao Sesame Cake.jpg| Huangqiao shaobing
File:Red Bean Paste Shaobing.jpg| Shaobing with red bean paste
File:Donkey sandwich, Hejian style (20160220143311).jpg|Donkey burger
File:Pork burger in Xiong'an New Area, Apr 2019.jpg| Shaobing with pork
File:Jinyun Shaobing baking in clay oven (20191004134617).jpg|Baking in clay oven
File:Baohu with 6 Shaobings (20240917174440).jpg| Baohu, or shaobing stuffed with mutton
File:Baohu stuffed in a Shaobing (20240917174615).jpg| Baohu
See also
