Jianyang Rice Pancake

Jianyang Rice Pancake

　　Jianyang Rice Pancake is a specialty of Jianyang Town, Jianhu County, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province. The main ingredient of Jianyang Rice Pancake is rice produced in the water-rich paddies of the region. The finished rice pancakes are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, soft and fragrant, melting in the mouth, and never greasy even when eaten in large quantities.

　　Commonly known as “Imperial Pancake,” nearly every rural housewife in the Jianhu area knows how to make it. The batter is mixed with cooked flour, allowed to ferment slightly, and then cooked into pancakes. Among them, Jianyang Rice Pancake stands out for its distinctive flavor—the pancake has a pure white surface dotted with tiny holes, and can be rolled into several layers. It is soft, fluffy, and delicious. The bottom of the pancake turns a golden brown, crisp and sweet, easy on the stomach and highly digestible, making it loved by both young and old.

　　Besides these features, this pancake also has a fascinating history. Legend has it that Lu Xiufu, the prime minister of the late Song Dynasty, had an inseparable bond with rice pancakes. As a child, Lu weaned early and tried various kinds of cakes, but none suited his stomach—except for rice pancakes, which he ate willingly without any stomach trouble, gradually developing a habit of enjoying them. By the time Lu reached school age, he still loved rice pancakes, even becoming somewhat addicted to them. To cherish his study time, he often skipped meals at home, preferring to carry rice pancakes in his clothes to eat when hungry. Later, when he went away to study, he would always ask his family to make some rice pancakes upon returning home, which he dried into crackers to take along. After becoming an official, he frequently ate rice pancakes for breakfast and often served them to relatives, friends, and distinguished guests. Even the emperor praised them highly after trying them and conferred upon them the title “Imperial Pancake.” Today, among the cooked foods of the water towns, rice pancakes are still ranked as the top choice in the pancake category, enduring in popularity and selling very well.