Jingyang Liangpi

Jingyang Liangpi

　　Jingyang Liangpi

　　Liangpi is a popular local snack from Jingyang with a history of over 200 years. There are many ways to prepare it and a wide variety of styles, all highlighting its sour, spicy, savory, and fragrant flavors. It has a pleasant taste, smooth and refreshing texture, as well as chewy and elastic consistency, making it widely loved by the public. Liangpi comes in two types: rice-based (mi pi) and wheat-based (mian pi). The rice version is made by steaming, while the wheat version can be either steamed or rolled. The steamed kind is soft and tender, whereas the rolled kind is chewy and springy. Among them, the rice and wheat liangpi from Qinzhen and the hand-rolled liangpi from Xifu are the most famous. When served, it is cooled, cut into strips, and mixed with blanched mung bean sprouts, then seasoned with refined salt, sesame paste, vinegar, garlic water, spices, and chili oil.

　　To make liangpi, wheat flour is mixed with water to form a thin batter, which is then poured into a round, iron ladle-like mold and steamed in boiling water. Due to its immense popularity, liangpi vendors have developed a method using large, one-meter-wide pots equipped with multiple layers of steaming racks for production. Cutting liangpi requires the use of a guillotine-style knife—the same type traditionally used in rural areas for cutting grass. This knife has a wide back, a thin blade, is nearly one meter long, and weighs between 3 to 5 kilograms. When cutting, the liangpi is placed on a damp cloth, one end of the knife is fixed in place, and with swift hand movements, wide, leek-leaf-like slices of liangpi are sliced off.