The Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake is a traditional and delicious food from Haicheng City, Liaoning Province, with a long history. It is characterized by its large filling, thin skin, crispy exterior, tender interior, rich but not greasy, and fragrant without being overpowering. As an intangible cultural heritage of Liaoning Province, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake has been passed down for over a hundred years. Its traditional exquisite production techniques and unique taste have made it a beautiful highlight in northern Chinese cuisine.
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NameNiuzhuang Stuffed Pancake
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CategorySpecialty Cuisine
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OriginLiaoning Province – Anshan City – Haicheng City
The Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake originates from the ancient town of Niuzhuang in Haicheng City, Liaoning Province. Due to its location as a necessary stop on the route into the customs from the northeast, it became an important hub for goods and a famous port. The ingenious people of Niuzhuang created the famous Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake due to its thriving commerce and large number of travelers. After more than 80 years of development, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake has become well-known far and wide, even making an appearance at the Great Hall of the People, truly spreading its fragrance across the world.
Dish Characteristics
There are roughly two accounts regarding the origin of the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake. One states that it originated with the Hui Muslim Liu Haichun in the early 1920s; another account suggests that it was first created by Gao Xiaoshan's father, Gao Fuchen, a native of Niuzhuang. According to the town chronicles of Niuzhuang, it was a bustling port in the early 20th century. At that time, there were various snacks available in the markets of Niuzhuang. Gao Fuchen sold various pastries, enjoying brisk business, and later invented the stuffed pancake. According to Liu Qingfeng, son of Liu Haichun, his father, after completing his apprenticeship at the renowned “Ma Family Restaurant Stuffed Pancake Shop” in Haicheng, returned to Niuzhuang and sold stuffed pancakes on the busiest street. Those who wanted to buy the Liu family's stuffed pancakes had to queue up early in the morning.
Whether the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake originated with Liu Haichun or Gao Fuchen cannot be definitively determined, but both can be considered the founding fathers based on their renown in Niuzhuang.
Although the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake originated in the 1920s, it truly formed its local character and gained widespread recognition in the 1970s. One person played a crucial role in its development: Gao Xiaoshan, Gao Fuchen's son. Not only did he boldly improve the original baking soda-soaked dough used for making stuffed pancakes, but his superb skills also made the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake famous nationwide. According to the recollections of the elderly in Niuzhuang, Gao Xiaoshan's stuffed pancakes had a crispy exterior and tender interior, were rich but not greasy, and the skin was as thin as two sheets of paper. When served, one could see the green onion bits inside. Many conferences were held in Niuzhuang back then, and conference delegates and leaders at all levels specifically requested Gao Xiaoshan's stuffed pancakes. By word of mouth, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake spread throughout the country.
In the 1980s, after the passing of Gao Xiaoshan, who possessed extraordinary skills, three of his disciples—Tong Xiangfu, Cui Chunqing, and Zhao Hongcai—took up his mantle. Among them, Zhao Hongcai was the most famous. After becoming the president of the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake Association, he was invited to make Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancakes for national leaders at a national conference held in Beijing in 1988. The Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake became one of the most popular main dishes on the table, and its reputation soared.
Successor: Cui Chunqing, male, from Haicheng. The “Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake” he made won the gold award at the 2008 Olympic Recommended Recipes Exhibition. The Niuzhuang frozen stuffed pancakes he produced filled a gap in China's range of over 200 frozen foods.
Zhao Hongcai, male, from Haicheng. He was frequently invited to make Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancakes at venues such as the Great Hall of the People. Leaders at all levels of the Party and state, as well as people from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, have all tasted Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancakes.
The continuation of the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake is inseparable from the special historical context of Niuzhuang.
According to records, Niuzhuang was already an important village during the Cao Wei period. Located on the left bank of the Daliao River, near the Chaogu Temple dock, it was the oldest trading port in the northeast. In ancient times, most areas of Northeast China passed through Niuzhuang when traveling overland through the customs. During the Qianlong period, Niuzhuang already had 280 major merchants, and commerce had already taken shape. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods, the Niuzhuang port became famous both domestically and internationally. Ships from inland provinces crossing the sea would enter the port via the Sancha River, with Niuzhuang as the center for the transfer of trade. In the eighth year of the Xianfeng era, the British government forced the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Tianjin, making Niuzhuang an international commercial port. The most fundamental advantage that allowed Niuzhuang to become a well-known ancient town was its early commercial history. Due to its important position in water and land transportation, it leveraged its strengths in commerce, contributing to the economic prosperity of the entire region. The Jiyun Qingyang Guild Hall built in Niuzhuang was the earliest venue for merchant activities. On the Chongyang Festival, merchants from various regions would gather on the building to hold celebrations, adding to the prosperity of the ancient town. From the early Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, it was a scene of prosperity, with banners and signs hanging everywhere. On the sixth day of the first lunar month each year, when shops reopened, the streets were covered with paper from firecrackers several inches thick. The Niuzhuang market was known to everyone, with merchants coming from Heilongjiang to the north and inland provinces to the south, trading continuously by carriage and boat, making it a hub for the distribution of various products.
The Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake went through several stages, including formation, exploration, innovation, and expansion. It is said that in 1682, when Emperor Kangxi visited the northeast to offer sacrifices at the mausoleums, on his return to Beijing, he toured Qianshan and stayed in Niuzhuang. The imperial chef's stuffed pancakes and other specialty snacks flowed into Niuzhuang, leading to today's Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake.
The Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake gradually took shape in the mid-Qing dynasty and entered people's diets. In the late Qing dynasty, after exploration and improvement by Hui and Han chefs, breakthroughs were made in production techniques, ingredient selection, and seasoning, gradually forming its own characteristics in Niuzhuang. After the 1920s, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake had gained a reputation in southern Liaoning. After the 1970s, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake entered an innovative period. Based on inheriting traditional techniques, its successors summarized much experience in mixing dough, preparing fillings, and cooking processes, making the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake unique and widely known. After the 1990s, with social progress and improved living standards, the Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancake developed into four series with over 50 varieties, becoming a regional brand and specialty. Shops selling Niuzhuang Stuffed Pancakes are found all over the country.
Preparation Method
Ingredients
Main ingredients: flour, cold water
Secondary ingredients: meat filling, appropriate vegetables.
Steps
Mix the dough by first stirring the flour with chopsticks