Fried Oil Cake

Fried Oil Cake

　　Fried Oil Cake

　　Fried dough snacks can be found all over the world, but the ones made by the Cao family inside the West Gate of Luancheng County are truly unique and well-known far and wide. The Cao family’s oil cakes originated in the Qing Dynasty and were first created by Cao Heizi. They use premium flour and employ exquisite dough-making techniques, with special secrets in mixing alum, salt, and other ingredients, all fried in raw sesame seed oil rendered in an oil-fired trough. The preparation comes in various forms—strips, braided loops, flat cakes, and thin slices. The finished pieces are added to the oil pot in sequence, with one piece removed after every nine are put in. Because they are fried for a long time, they turn out crisp, fragrant, and delicious, making them especially suitable for older people. A distinctive feature of Cao family oil cakes is that no matter how humid the weather, they never collapse or lose their shape.