Guandu Baba

Guandu Baba

　　Guandu Baba, a local specialty from Guandu, Yunnan, is a baked flour-based food. The baba is filled with a sweet mixture of finely ground sesame, peanuts, walnuts, and sugar, resulting in a soft, fragrant, and delicious taste. Interestingly, the small shop selling “baba” displays a sign that reads: “One yuan each if you queue up, three yuan each if you cut in line.” The business is extremely popular, and customers often have to wait in line for at least half an hour to get their baba. Freshly baked baba is very hot, so customers use the “shāo jī” (bamboo baskets) provided by the shop to hold them and wait for them to cool before packing them to take away.