Laoyuan Pancakes

Laoyuan Pancakes

　　Pancakes can be found all over China, but their flavors vary from place to place. Laoyuan Pancakes are a unique variety. Their uniqueness mainly lies in the ingredients. Locals say that Laoyuan Pancakes are "three-grain pancakes," primarily made with corn, millet, and soybeans, along with appropriate amounts of Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, green onions, ginger, and garlic as secondary ingredients. To make the pancakes more chewy, some people also like to add a bit of wheat. These ingredients are mixed together, soaked in water until softened, and then ground into a batter using a stone mill. Laoyuan Pancakes have "four marvels": first, they are large—the griddles used in Laoyuan can have diameters of over one meter, and are generally no smaller than two feet; second, they are extremely thin—without exaggeration, each pancake is as thin as paper; third, they are golden—Laoyuan Pancakes have a golden hue; fourth, they are chewy—each pancake can be lifted up and feels as smooth as silk. In short, they are described as "large as a cover, thin as paper, golden in color, and chewy as silk."

　　There are many ways to eat Laoyuan Pancakes. The simplest and most effortless way is to eat them hot right off the griddle. But most households fold the pancakes into rectangles, lightly pan-fry them again to crisp the outer layer, then tear them into small pieces and soak them in pre-made tofu soup, egg soup, or mushroom and shredded pork soup. The most famous way to eat the pancakes is to wrap them around meat, and the best and most exquisite version is wrapping them around boiled pig’s head meat. The pancake is spread out, filled with chopped pig’s head meat and minced green onions, then rolled up and pan-fried back and forth until the outer layer is slightly crispy. It is then cut into sections and served. Freshly made pancake rolls with meat are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and burst with juicy flavor in every bite—crispy and delicious to the extreme. A local rhyme goes: “Travel to Nanjing, venture to Beijing, but nothing beats Laoyuan’s pork-wrapped pancakes.” Indeed, visiting Laoyuan without trying the pancake rolls with meat is a great pity. In addition, there are other ways to enjoy them, such as wrapping fried dough sticks or stir-frying the pancakes. But the most authentic and traditional way is still the pancake rolls with meat.

　　In rural Laoyuan, nearly every household makes pancakes. In the past, when refined grains were scarce, people would transform coarse grains into special dishes during festivals and holidays. In the lunar month of December, every family would make pancakes using two or three dou (a traditional unit of volume) of grain. They would fold the hot pancakes into rectangles, stack them neatly in baskets, and save them to enjoy slowly throughout the Lunar New Year.

　　Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, two brothers came from Shanxi—one settled in Laoyuan, and the other in Shandong. They brought the craft of making pancakes to their respective new homes. That’s why Laoyuan Pancakes and Shandong Pancakes are considered “brother pancakes.” While the authenticity of this story is impossible to verify, after hundreds of years of independent development, Laoyuan Pancakes have formed their own distinctive flavor, standing out uniquely across China and truly earning the title of a marvel.