Salt Biscuits

Salt Biscuits

　　are a popular snack in the Kunming area. They come in sweet and savory versions, with the savory type being more common. The dough is made by mixing wheat flour with yeast and water to ferment, then adding baking soda to neutralize the acidity. A spicy salt mixture is prepared by blending lard, Sichuan peppercorn oil, salt, and toasted flour. Small pieces are pinched from the fermented dough, and each piece is wrapped around about one-fifth of the spicy salt mixture. The dough is then repeatedly folded and rolled out with a rolling pin to form a hatchet shape. It is cooked on a flat pan brushed with a small amount of vegetable oil, using low heat to pan-fry both sides until golden brown. Because the dough is fermented, the finished biscuits are fluffy and soft in texture, with a crispy, fragrant, and slightly flaky crust, yet tender inside. The flavor is savory, aromatic, and mildly numbing. For the sweet version, the filling consists of small cubes made from white sugar, toasted sesame seeds, dried tangerine peel, and diced rock sugar-infused lard, resulting in a deliciously sweet taste. (Kunming)