Jia County Honey Bowl

Jia County Honey Bowl

　　Jia County Honey Bowl

　　The "Honey Bowl" of Jia County in northern Shaanxi is a famous traditional local snack. It is beloved for its crispy texture, softness, and fragrant aroma. When it comes to its origin, the older generation will tell you an interesting legend: Empress Changsun, the wife of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, suffered from a serious and mysterious illness after childbirth and could not eat any delicacies. One day, a minister named Wei Zheng visited her in the palace to inquire about her health. The emperor sighed and said, "The empress refuses to eat any kind of tonic and is growing thinner by the day. What should we do?" Wei Zheng replied, "Your Majesty, I have heard that there is a chef named Zhang in Jia County (now known as 'Jia County') who is skilled at making a folk snack called the Honey Bowl, which patients particularly enjoy. Why not summon him to try?" Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately sent for Chef Zhang to be brought to the imperial kitchen.

　　Early the next morning, Chef Zhang personally delivered the dish he had prepared to the empress. The empress noticed that what was served on the plate was not the usual exotic delicacies, but a small golden bowl, which piqued her interest. She picked up the plate and examined it carefully. After taking a small bite, she found it incredibly crispy, soft, and delicious beyond words. She continued to eat slowly, bite by bite, finishing every last bit. From then on, the empress gradually regained her appetite. In addition to eating two Honey Bowls each day, she was also able to consume other foods. After a month, her complexion gradually improved, and after three months, she had completely recovered. The emperor was overjoyed and rewarded Chef Zhang with a hundred taels of gold and a hundred bolts of colored silk. Since then, the fame of the Honey Bowl has spread both in China and abroad.

　　The way to make the Honey Bowl is as follows: for every three pounds of wheat flour, add ten eggs and one pound of honey. Mix the dough evenly, roll it out to half an inch thick, cut it into palm-sized squares, shape them into bowls, and then deep-fry them until cooked.