Changzhi Pie

Changzhi Pie

　　The "pie," also called "vegetable fold" or "small griddle cake," or locally known as "lǐgēzhuā" in Gaoping and Lingchuan, is a festive delicacy and a treat for guests in both urban and rural areas of southeastern Shanxi. It is also considered a fine dish to elevate everyday meals. As for when the pie was first introduced to the Changzhi area, folklore suggests that after the Mongolians occupied the Central Plains, the soldiers left behind in Luzhou often ate pies made with buckwheat dough wrappers, stuffed with beef or mutton, and cooked by dry grilling or pan-frying. Later, they discovered that the local Luzhou people made delicious, crispy onion pancakes using wheat flour. So they switched to using wheat flour for the wrapper and fried the pies in soybean oil. The new version turned out to be soft, tender, and extraordinarily flavorful. It is estimated that the pie has been a part of Changzhi's culinary tradition for over 700 years. Over these seven centuries, the "pie" has evolved in the Changzhi region into a golden, small, copper-drum-like shape with a translucent filling visible through its paper-thin, crisp dough—meat diced like pearls, vegetables as green as jade. It is typically served with a dip of garlic sauce, offering a rich, satisfying taste that never tires the palate and leaves a lasting impression. Legend has it that Yu Lan (later known as Empress Dowager Cixi), the daughter of Hui Zheng, the prefect of Luzhou, enjoyed the "pies" sold by street vendors in Luzhou during her childhood at the prefectural office. Later, after becoming an imperial consort, despite having unlimited access to delicacies, she still requested the imperial kitchen to include "Luzhou pies" as a staple in her diet in her later years. This shows that pies were not only beloved by commoners but also cherished in the imperial court. Pies are cooked on a cast-iron griddle. Interestingly, this small griddle has three legs supporting the cooking surface, which is slightly convex with a rimmed edge. It comes with a lid and a handle for easy handling. When placed over a high, single-burner flame—with the fire about 8 cm above the convex part of the griddle and less than 5 cm from its rim—the resulting pie is thin in the middle and thick around the edges, with a crispy center and less filling, while the outer part has more filling and a softer texture. Moreover, the griddle’s slick surface keeps the dough from burning, ensuring the pie is golden brown on both sides and shaped like a small copper drum.

　　 After the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were dozens of street vendors and market stalls selling pies, but the most popular were those made by brothers Yang Laoliu and Yang Jiuming on Yingxiong Street in Changzhi City. After the reform and opening up, Ms. Wang Laixiang from East China Residential Area, building upon traditional family recipes and refining the ingredients, created her own version. She used premium flour, water of the four seasons, finely chopped boiled vermicelli, pork from the rump, chives, sprinkled with spices, and blended to perfection. The result was a pie with a thin crust, rich filling, golden color, soft yet crispy texture, which locals dubbed the "Pie King." Yan Jianguo from Beiguan in Huguan County also gained wide acclaim for his "vegetarian pies." Their pies were recognized by the Changzhi City Famous Snacks Research Association as "Shangdang Famous Snacks." Wang Laixiang's pies further won the Gold Award at the China·Taiyuan International Noodles Festival.