Bowang Guokui

Bowang Guokui

　　Bowang Guokui is a distinctive food made from wheat flour and baked. It resembles both a pot and a helmet in shape, entirely white as if sun-dried dough, with a diameter of over one chi (approximately 33 cm), a thickness of two cun (approximately 6.6 cm), and each piece weighing up to four jin (approximately 2 kg). It has a crispy, fragrant, and refreshing taste, is chewy and filling, and can be stored for a long time without spoiling. Legend has it that Bowang Guokui was first created during the Three Kingdoms period. After Liu Bei set fire to Bowang, he left Guan Yu to guard the area. At the time, there was a drought and a shortage of water, leaving the soldiers thirsty and hungry. Guan Yu wrote to Zhuge Liang pleading to retreat. In response, Zhuge Liang wrote back to Guan Yu, instructing him to hold the position and teaching him to “use dry flour, mix in a little water, form a hard dough, bake it on a pan, and eat it like a helmet,” to “boost morale and steady the troops.” This method of baking the flatbread has been passed down ever since.