Hibiscus Crisp

Hibiscus Crisp

　　Hibiscus Crisp is a famous dish from Rong’an County, Guangxi. During festivals, locals in Rongcheng always make a serving of Hibiscus Crisp, and it’s also an indispensable dish at banquets. Nearby cities are known to come specifically to Rong’an just to try this dish, often leaving with high praise. Made with over ten ingredients including premium meat and mushrooms, as well as a mix of vegetables, the mixture is stirred together with flour, egg whites, and other seasonings before being deep-fried in oil. The finished Hibiscus Crisp has a golden color, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. It leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth, offering a deliciously crisp taste. For over 200 years, it has remained beloved and consistently ranks as the top dish at various banquets. Recently, the “Da San Yuan” restaurant in Rong’an County, applying as an individual business, received approval for its application to register “Hibiscus Crisp” as a food product trademark with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. This is the first trademark registration in the county’s food industry to be approved.

　　Historical Anecdote:

　　In 1848 (the 28th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty), Liao Wu, a royal chef from the Jingjiang Prince’s Palace in Guilin, came to Rong’an (Chang’an Town) in search of his former lover, “Sai Jinhua.” At that time, his lover had been sold to the Anyang Flower Donation Company in Chang’an Town due to her family’s poverty and worked as a singer under the stage name “Furong” (Hibiscus). Liao Wu also followed in the footsteps of Tang Bohu by working as a chef at the “Yanlai Ju” restaurant within the Anyang Company. He was skilled in preparing various imperial dishes. One of his original dishes, originally named “Fei Liuxiang” (Fragrance Left by the Concubine), was improved by Chef Liao and renamed Hibiscus Crisp after his lover’s stage name. The dish quickly became very popular and spread widely throughout Chang’an.

　　Ingredients:

　　2 eggs, 200g flour, 3 tablespoons starch, 750g minced meat, 250g water chestnuts (horse hoof), 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, 5 dried wood ear mushrooms, 3 small green onions, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, salt to taste

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Finely chop the wood ear mushrooms, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions. Place them in a bowl with the minced meat. Add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper, and an appropriate amount of salt. Mix everything together, then add 3 tablespoons of starch and knead slowly in one direction until evenly combined.

　　2. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add a little salt, and whisk with chopsticks until foamy. Gradually add the flour while stirring with chopsticks until a thick batter forms. When lifted with chopsticks, it should form long strands.

　　3. Spread the meat filling evenly on a cutting board to form a strip about 2 cm thick. Pour the batter in the center of the meat and use chopsticks to gradually spread it outward.

　　4. Once the batter is evenly spread, gently chop back and forth with a kitchen knife a few times to help the meat and batter stick together. Then cut the mixture into small pieces suitable for frying.

　　5. Heat the pan with a generous amount of oil. When the oil is about 70% hot, turn the heat to medium-low. Dip a clean kitchen knife in the oil, then scoop up the meat pieces and place them in the pan with the batter side down. Once the batter sets, flip them over to fry the meat side. Repeat flipping twice and fry for about 10 minutes until the pieces float and turn golden brown. Then remove from the pan.

　　Tips:

　　1. Adding eggs to the batter makes the crust crispier and tastier—the more eggs, the better the crust.

　　2. The meat filling and ingredients can be adjusted. You can add carrots, taro, dried bamboo shoots, etc. Choosing crunchier vegetables will make the Hibiscus Crisp even crispier. Adding starch to the meat filling helps prevent it from falling apart during frying.

　　3. Choose lean or half-fat pork for the filling. Skinless pork belly is also suitable. It’s best to mince the meat by hand. The batter needs to be repeatedly mixed into the meat to ensure the filling and crust don’t separate during frying. This step is very important.

　　4. Both white pepper and five-spice powder are for seasoning and can be adjusted to taste. White pepper helps remove the meaty smell.

　　5. When chopping the batter or scooping the meat, dip the knife in oil to prevent the meat from sticking to the blade.