Wheat Pancakes

Wheat Pancakes

　　It’s often said that no trip to Guandu Ancient Town is complete without seeing the Vajra Pagoda or trying the local snacks.

　　A town official told reporters that the pancakes in Guandu sell very well—the town goes through three tons of flour every day just to make them. Two vendors are especially famous for their wheat pancakes: one is Li’s Wheat Pancakes, located next to the Tuzhu Temple, and the other is Eyeglass Wheat Pancakes, right across from the temple. Because they often sell out, visitors who come too late may go home disappointed.

　　Ms. Cao from the city, along with her husband and child, drove more than 10 kilometers just to try Guandu’s wheat pancakes. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Ms. Cao chatted familiarly with the owner. Following their “usual routine,” she walked away with 20 sesame wheat pancakes in a plastic bag. She told reporters: “My mother loves these pancakes the most. When I was a child in Kunming, I often saw Guandu aunties selling them from baskets on the street. You hardly see them in the city anymore. Ever since I got hooked on them during my last visit to Guandu, I come to buy them once a week.” Ms. Cao also revealed the difference between “Li’s Wheat Pancakes” and “Eyeglass Wheat Pancakes”: the former are soft and stay that way for up to a week, while the latter are crispy and fragrant—but must be eaten hot, or they become too tough to chew.

　　The owner of Li’s Pancake Shop said that he started making and selling pancakes after Guandu Ancient Town was restored and rebuilt. At first, he experimented by making a few batches to sell each day, but they became increasingly popular—older folks came specifically to eat them, and younger people found them novel. So he added five more big pans, bringing the total to seven including the original two. Now, they make about 5,000 wheat pancakes a day, using over 300 kilograms of flour. During temple fairs or on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, business gets extremely busy.

　　The owner of Eyeglass Pancake Shop is actually an “outsider.” It turns out that this Mr. Yang, the owner, is a Dali native who has lived in the ancient town for over 10 years. Seeing how many locals made money selling snacks, the mild-mannered Mr. Yang rolled up his sleeves and learned to make wheat pancakes. Thanks to his shop’s prime location and his innovative rose-filled and red bean paste-filled pancakes, “Eyeglass Pancakes” have also become well-known in town. However, the savvy Mr. Yang hasn’t expanded his operation by adding more big pans just because the pancakes sell well. Instead, he slowly roasts just two batches of 100 pancakes at a time. During the five-minute wait, he chats with customers—money in hand, waiting for their pancakes—about the ancient town and business. According to Mr. Yang, he sells an average of 5,000 pancakes a day and nets 500 yuan in profit. Speaking of which, he enthusiastically shared his new plan: opening a chain of stores in downtown Kunming next.