Red Crisp

Red Crisp

　　Red Crisp, commonly known among the people as "dry platter." It is characterized by its crisp texture, rich aroma, and melt-in-the-mouth taste, making it one of the distinctive snacks of Anzhou and hailed as a unique delicacy of northwestern Sichuan. The craft of making Red Crisp is widely practiced in northwestern Sichuan, with that from Xiushui Town being the most representative and influential. Legend has it that the making of Red Crisp originated in the Tang Dynasty. According to research, in the 49th year of the Qianlong reign, Li Diaoyuan, a renowned “literary talent of Bashu” from the Qing Dynasty (a native of today’s Anzhou District), named a food item he personally created — featuring red meat filling and yellow outer layer with a red tint — as “Red Crisp.” During the late Qing and early Republican periods, Red Crisp, as one of the “dry platters,” was a must-have dish during festivals, banquets, and feasts, often served alongside the “Ten Bowls” to form a highly distinctive traditional delicacy.

　　The traditional method of making Red Crisp is unique and involves more than ten processing steps. The most classic and representative procedures include making the meat filling, steaming the dough, frying the strips, and deep-frying. High-quality fresh pork belly and streaky pork are used as the main ingredients, along with fresh eggs, peanuts, refined salt, sweet potato starch, and fresh lard as supplementary ingredients. The entire production process takes three days. Through techniques such as mixing, cooling, wrapping, slicing, frying, and seasoning, combined with the secret formula of the Li family, the flavorful and lingering taste of Red Crisp is achieved.