介绍:
Hello and welcome to our weekly feature, Horizons on Newsplus Radio. I'm your host Du Lijun. Located in the centre of Shandong, Zibo is considered one of the birthplaces of the Han Chinese. It was the capital of the ancient State of Qi, the most prosperous state during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods over 2,000 years ago; and it also made a significant contribution to the formation and prosperity of the ancient Silk Road. Aside from its historic importance, Zibo is also home to a colorful street-food culture; and is especially well-known for its different varieties of pan-cakes. So, with today's Horizons, we will travel to Zibo to find out more about those creative pan-cakes. With the rest time of the show, we will have a look at the employment situation in China. Please stay tuned.
Anchor: Shandong cuisine is a culinary art form originating from Shandong Province in east China. Lu is the abbreviation for Shandong and "Lu cuisine" is commonly used as a substitution for Shandong cuisine.
As the region of the vast majority of cooking styles in China, Shandong cuisine is widely considered the most influential branch of Chinese cuisine. Not only is Shandong cuisine one of the most unique culinary styles in the Northern China, it has acquired the high reputation of ranking among the four most distinguished culinary heritages in traditional Chinese cuisine, along with the Sichuan, Cantonese and Jiangsu cuisines.
Aside from its well-known cuisine, Shandong is also home to a colorful street-food culture; and is especially well-known for its different varieties of pan-cakes. So now let's follow our reporter Shen Ting to the central city of Shandong, Zibo, to find out more about these creative pan-cakes.
Reporter:
Located in the centre of Shandong, Zibo is considered one of the birthplaces of the Han Chinese. The traces of the three major Neolithic cultures in ancient China, Beixin culture, Dawenkou culture, and Longshan culture can all be found on the site of the now modern Zibo.
Zibo was the capital of the ancient State of Qi, the most prosperous state during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods over 2,000 years ago.
Zibo also made a significant contribution to the formation and prosperity of the ancient Silk Road. Zhoucun, now one of the townships of Zibo, used to be one of the biggest suppliers of silk products in China; and thus became one of the country's four important 'inland ports' in the 17th century, alongside Fuoshan, Jingdezhen and Zhuxianzhen. As a commercial hub of north China in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong once praised it as the "No. 1 Village in China".
Nowadays it may longer be the center of commerce it used to be, but Zhoucun has a lasting legacy from its glory days. Walking through its centuries-old streets you can still feel the buoyant commercial atmosphere.
As an important trading center, Zhoucun was once abuzz with merchants from both home and abroad, and some of them brought along recipes of their favorite snacks.
One of them is shaobing. This thin round wafer topped sesame has now become a trademark snack of Zhoucun. Li Changshun is vice president of the Zibo Cuisine Association. He explains to us.
"The origin of Zhoucun Shaobing can be traced back to hubing, a type of thick baked bread from the Han Dynasty some 2000 years ago. Its name reflects its origins, as "hu" was a term used to describe Westerners. Traders who arrived through the Silk Route from Western Asia introduced hubing to China. This kind of hand-made bread soon became a best seller among the merchants in Zhoucun and many local chefs learned to make this. "
Shaobing in Chinese cuisine is a baked type of layered flatbread that may be topped with sesame seeds. Literally meaning ''roasted cakes'', Shaobing has served as staple food for the Chinese people, especially in the northern part for hundreds of years. Originally, they were cooked in the Middle East style, as slapped against the searing sides of a clay oven, where they adhered and baked. Now, they are pan-fried or baked in a conventional oven.
Considered to be a type of croissant-bagel hybrid, these roasted cakes feature a number of delicate, crunchy layers with a crispy surface. Shaobing can be either savory or sweet; and they are eaten in different parts of China with various types of food. In the northern parts, the savory ones are eaten with soup, while in the South, people have it with soy milk for breakfast. The sweet flatbread is also sometimes eaten on its own as a side dish.
These tasty, flaky Chinese pastries can also be split open, like small pita breads, and stuffed with all manner of stir-fries to make sandwiches. Some of the stuffings used to fill shaobing include red bean paste, stir-fried mung beans, and spring onions. Tofu, egg, and black sesame paste are some of the other stuffings used.
The most basic type of shaobing is that made with sesame seeds. It is possible to make around 10 of them in less than half an hour with dough prepared beforehand. As the dough preparation and baking techniques evolve different varieties of shaobing take form. Some versions are crispier than others; some flakier; and some are saltier. Among them, Zhoucun shaobing has become the most famous one. In contrast to the basic type of shaoping usually found at the street, Zhoucun shaobing features a fusion of Chinese and western baking techniques fine-tuned by a dedicated baker. Wang Chunhua is one such skillful shaobing baker.
"Zhouchun shaobing is much thinner and crispier. It is as thin as a piece of paper; and it is so crispy and fragile that it shatters into shards if you don't handle it with care. Richly crusted with sesame, it is aromatic and flavorful."
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