Linqi Pan-Fried Buns

Linqi Pan-Fried Buns

　　Linqi Pan-Fried Buns are a specialty snack from Linqi Town, Linzhou City, Anyang, Henan Province. These buns achieve the perfect combination of boiling, steaming, and pan-frying, resulting in a golden color with one crispy side and three tender sides. They are delightfully crisp without being hard, fragrant without being greasy, and offer an exceptionally delicious taste.

　　When it comes to Linqi Pan-Fried Buns, people often joke, “You’ll regret it if you don’t try them, and you might regret it even if you do.” The regret of not trying them comes from the golden, mouthwatering buns that stir up cravings, while the regret of having tried them stems from diners feeling that they paid quite a lot for what seems like just a bit of chopped vegetables.

　　The cooking process of these buns combines boiling, steaming, and pan-frying. Fresh out of the pan, the buns—thanks to this unique triple-cooking method—are golden in color, with one crispy side and three soft sides. They are delightfully crisp without being hard, fragrant without being greasy, and have an exceptionally delicious taste. Unlike the crescent-shaped pan-fried buns found elsewhere in Linzhou City, Linqi Pan-Fried Buns are round. Once cooked, their pleats are browned to a golden hue, making them look like blooming chrysanthemums. Most amazingly, when eating them, you can hardly feel any trace of where the pleats were joined.

　　The first secret to making Linqi Pan-Fried Buns is using leavened dough and letting it rest. When wrapping the buns, handle the dough gently, pinching it little by little—only then can you completely eliminate any bumps caused by the pleats joining. The second secret is using raw eggs in the filling. Linqi Pan-Fried Buns mainly feature vegetarian fillings, using seasonal vegetables mixed with eggs. Lin Yunqin demonstrated the bun-making process to reporters, skillfully chopping leeks, vermicelli, tofu, scallions, ginger, and garlic into tiny pieces and placing them in a bowl. Then she cracked a raw egg into the bowl and mixed it thoroughly with the other ingredients. The third secret is controlling the heat. Heat is something that’s hard to describe in words—knowing when to add water and when to add flour all comes down to experience.

　　Take a gentle bite of the golden pan-fried bun, and the fragrance instantly fills your senses, followed by a subtle sweetness. If you bite into the crispy skin, you’ll hear a satisfying crunch. Paired with garlic sauce and vinegar, they become even more delicious.