Kaifeng Guotie

Kaifeng Guotie

　　Kaifeng guotie is a famous local delicacy. Among the many vendors, Daoxiangju’s guotie is renowned throughout the ancient city for its strict ingredient selection, meticulous preparation, and excellent quality. The filling is made from fresh lean meat, tender chives, lard, peanut oil, ground sesame oil, cooking wine, and minced ginger. The filling is wrapped in refined flour wrappers shaped like little boats, which are then neatly placed in a flat-bottomed pan. Water is added, and the guotie are boiled over high heat. Once the water evaporates, a thin batter wash is poured over them. When most of the water has cooked off, peanut oil is drizzled on, and the guotie are then pan-fried over low heat until the bottoms turn a persimmon-red color. The result is juicy, oily, and deliciously flavorful. Served with vinegar and garlic cloves, it offers a unique and delightful taste.

　　There are certain techniques to making proper guotie. A flat-bottomed pan should be used, lightly coated with oil, and the guotie must be arranged neatly, one touching the next. While frying, sprinkle water evenly—preferably using a small-spout kettle to direct the water into the gaps between the guotie so it seeps to the bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid and fry for two to three minutes before sprinkling water again. Repeat the frying and sprinkling process once more. At this point, you can add a bit of oil. In about five minutes, they’re ready to eat. When removing them with a spatula, the best ones are those where five or six are connected, with golden brown bottoms and slightly soft edges and tops, steaming hot. The wrappers should be both crispy and tender, the filling soft yet flaky, bursting with aroma and leaving a lingering aftertaste. It’s truly a wonderful treat.

　　Legend has it that Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty loved eating dumplings, but refused to eat them once they cooled. As a result, the imperial kitchen had to constantly prepare freshly steamed dumplings and discard any that went cold. One day, while enjoying the flowers in the palace garden, the Empress caught a whiff of a tantalizing aroma coming from outside the palace walls. Curious, she stepped out and saw people cooking something that looked like dumplings with golden wrappers. After trying one, she found the crust crispy and the filling juicy—absolutely delicious. She later learned that these were dumplings discarded by the imperial kitchen because they had gone cold, stuck together, and were difficult to cook by boiling. That’s why they were pan-fried instead. However, there’s another version of the story: a Cantonese chef, during a trip to northern China, tried pan-fried dumplings and found them delicious. He brought the idea back to his hometown, made some modifications, and thus the modern guotie was born.