Court-Style Crispy Beef Pastry

Court-Style Crispy Beef Pastry

　　Xi’an’s court-style crispy beef pastry, also known as “thousand-layer beef pastry,” boasts a history of over 1,200 years. During the Tang Dynasty, this pastry was once an imperial delicacy. Amid the An Lushan Rebellion, when imperial chefs fled to the civilian population, they began selling this pastry in Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an), where it quickly gained fame. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi wrote in his poem “Sending Sesame Seed Cakes to Governor Yang Wan Zhou”: “The sesame seed cakes are modeled after those from the capital, with crispy crusts and fragrant oil just out of the oven. I send them to Envoy Yang, who must be hungry and craving, hoping they taste just as good as those from Fu Xing.” The “sesame seed cakes” in the poem refer to what we now call “crispy beef pastry.” As times changed, master seasoning experts built upon ancestral recipes and techniques, innovating further, taking the flavor of the crispy beef pastry to new heights and establishing a new brand. “The swallows that once nested in the halls of nobility now fly into common homes.”

　　Today, everyone can enjoy the crispy beef pastry that was once reserved solely for emperors. This pastry features dough that is crystal-clear and translucent, and a meat filling that is bright and tender in color. Renowned for its golden hue, crispy exterior and tender interior, rich but not greasy flavor, unique taste, and mouthwatering aroma, it has become widely celebrated. What’s more, its preparation is highly entertaining to watch—just look at how paper-thin the dough is and how generous and fresh the meat filling is. Especially when the pastry comes out of the oven, the tantalizing aroma wafts into ordinary homes, making it a treat that is truly delightful to smell, see, and taste.