Huanghuang Bun

Huanghuang Bun

　　Huanghuang Bun is a specialty snack from Huangling County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is crisp, flavorful, richly aromatic, and delicious. The top is dotted with sesame-sized indentations soaked in a pool of cooking oil. When placed upright, it resembles an exquisite little boat; when tilted, it looks like a waning crescent moon. It smells fragrant, looks tender, and tastes sweet.

　　Huanghuang Bun, abbreviated as "Huanghuang," is named for its yellow hue. Its main ingredient is hard millet flour. The production process involves milling, fermenting, and spreading. That is, a suitable amount of water is boiled in a pot. Once boiling, a portion of the milled hard millet flour is taken and mixed with cold water to form a small bowl of paste, which is then poured into the boiling water. After cooking for a few minutes, more millet flour is gradually sprinkled into the pot while stirring to create a thick porridge-like consistency. It is continuously stirred and cooked for about 40 minutes before being removed from the heat. After slightly cooling, it is combined with the remaining hard millet flour to form dough, which is then placed in a basin, covered tightly, and left to ferment for about six hours in a warm kang bed or on a low-heat stove until it emits a fragrant aroma and has a slightly sweet taste. Next, another basin is used to scoop out a portion of the fermented dough, which is mixed with water and yeast to form a paste. The basin is then covered and placed in a warm spot to ferment again for about 30 minutes, or until small bubbles appear on the surface, at which point it is ready to be spread and cooked.

　　The cooking utensil used for making Huanghuang Bun is a special flat griddle called a "Huanghuang Ao." The ao is circular, with a diameter ranging from 15 to 20 centimeters, slightly convex in the middle, and equipped with a lid and three legs about 6 centimeters high. During cooking, the ao is elevated with bricks and heated from below with firewood. Oil is applied to the surface of the ao to prevent sticking. Using a ladle, the second round of fermented batter is scooped and poured from the center of the ao. The batter spreads outward from the center, after which the lid is closed. In about 4 to 5 minutes, once a sizzling sound of steam is heard inside the ao, the lid can be lifted. A spatula is used to fold the center into a double-layered semicircle, which is then lifted out. Typically, three to five aos are used simultaneously during the cooking process.

　　Huanghuang Bun is crisp, flavorful, richly aromatic, and delicious. The top is dotted with sesame-sized indentations soaked in a pool of cooking oil. When placed upright, it resembles an exquisite little boat; when tilted, it looks like a waning crescent moon. It smells fragrant, looks tender, and tastes sweet. Because it is folded into two layers from the middle, it is convenient for stuffing with various ingredients such as meat, eggs, and vegetables, absorbing different flavors, which has won it widespread popularity.