Lintong Guokui

Last updated 2026-11-16 — Guokui is a type of flatbread made from wheat dough and baked in an iron pan. It's the perfect dry food to carry when traveling. There are many legends about its origin; one says it was created by Zhuge Liang after his first campaign, following the burning of Bowang Slope, to help stabilize Xiang Yu’s army morale. Another says that during the construction of the Qianling Mausoleum by Tang Dynasty troops, there were so many soldiers and laborers that food supplies ran short, often delaying construction due to hunger and resulting in punishment. In a moment of desperation, one soldier put dough into his helmet and baked it over a fire, creating this bread — hence its name. Guokui has a history of over a thousand years in Shaanxi. People have refined its preparation over time to enhance its longevity and aroma, paying strict attention to the kneading, shaping, timing, heat control, and baking process. The flour used is from high-quality wheat of the year, and the baking must be done in a specially made iron pan. Heat control is especially crucial — some fail either by burning or undercooking the bread simply due to poor heat management. Locals traditionally use wheat stalks as fuel for baking, which might remind you of the poem: “They burn the beanstalk to boil the beans, / The beans in the pot cry out, / ‘We grew from the selfsame root, / So why should you fry us now?’” During baking, the “one turn, two flips, three scrapes” technique is essential: one turn means constantly rotating the bread to prevent scorching, two flips refers to baking one side before turning to bake the other, and three scrapes is done when nearly done — scrape lightly and listen — if you hear a crisp sound, it’s ready. Then sprinkle some sesame seeds and it’s ready to come off the pan.