Mengjin Bupan

Mengjin Bupan

　　Mengjin Bupan is a specialty snack from Mengjin County, Luoyang City, Henan Province. With its golden color and fluffy texture, Mengjin Bupan is both refreshing and nutritious, making it especially popular among the elderly and children.

　　Mengjin Bupan is a famous local snack. Legend says it was brought out of the imperial kitchen by Wang Duo; it is a thin and small mung bean product that is cooked on a hot griddle and does not need to be flipped before it is ready to be eaten with a dipping sauce or in soup.

　　Mengjin Bupan is made from high-quality mung beans, which are soaked overnight, soaked until swollen, peeled, ground into a paste, then mixed with eggs and salt. The mixture is poured into a specially designed griddle and cooked over a flame. Because it doesn’t need to be flipped during cooking, it is called “Bupan” (literally “no flip”). Bupan has a golden color and fluffy texture, is refreshing and nutritious, and is especially loved by the elderly and children.

　　To cook Bupan, a special griddle is used. Once the griddle is heated, oil is spread on it, and a spoonful of mung bean paste is poured in and spread evenly. The griddle lid is then closed, and in just a short while, it is cooked without flipping. Bupan is very thin and is usually eaten by dipping it in a sauce made from more than ten seasonings including garlic, ginger, persimmon vinegar, prickly ash water, clove water, star anise water, fennel water, sesame paste, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce. Alternatively, two pieces of Bupan are stacked in a bowl, topped with a ladle of piping hot bone broth, along with some pre-cooked daylily buds, shredded kelp, wood ear mushrooms, and cellophane noodles. Vinegar and pepper are added to make a tangy and spicy “Bupan Soup” with a long-lasting aftertaste. Both ways of eating are rich in flavor, fragrant, and delicious—far surpassing ordinary snacks.

　　There is another story about how Bupan got its name, linked to Mengjin’s Xiaolangdi.

　　Xiaolangdi is located in the final section of the middle reaches of the Yellow River. Before the Xiaolangdi Dam was built, there was an area known as Bali Hutong, the narrowest and most dangerous part of the middle Yellow River. Surrounded by steep cliffs and battered by fierce winds and waves, boating and fishing here were extremely perilous, with frequent boat capsizes and often no bodies found. As a result, many local taboos and customs emerged—for example, when eating fish, one should not flip it over to eat the other side but instead remove the head and backbone before eating the meat underneath. It was also forbidden to place a water ladle upside down or to say words like “flip” or “coal.” Bupan thus became the staple food of boatmen in those times. Whether this legend is true or not, it was all about seeking good fortune, hoping for safe travels and no boat accidents.

　　Nowadays, Bupan has become a distinctive local snack in Mengjin, with many stalls across the county. Visitors to the area often try it to enjoy its unique taste.