Shibajie Mahua facts for kids
Guifaxiang Shibajie Mahua is a special traditional pastry from Tianjin, China. It's famous for being one of the "Three traditional snacks of Tianjin," along with Gobelieve Buns and Erduoyan Fried Cakes. People often call Shibajie Mahua a "Chinese famous snack" because it's so popular and delicious!
A Sweet History
Long ago, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a street in Tianjin called "18th Street." A man named Liu Laobao opened a small pastry shop there. He called his shop "Guifaxiang." Liu Laobao was very skilled at making a fried dough twist called Mahua. He used only the best white flour and high-quality oil.
His shop quickly became very popular, and customers lined up to buy his tasty Mahua. Soon, Liu Laobao opened more shops! But after a while, people started to get a little tired of the same old Mahua, and business slowed down.
One day, a young shop assistant who had just returned from a trip was very hungry. He found some leftover bits and pieces from cooking. He had a brilliant idea! He decided to mix these leftover bits with Mahua and fry them together. Everyone was surprised by the result! The new Mahua was not only crispy and tangy but also even more delicious than before.
Liu Laobao loved this new idea. He started to experiment, adding different ingredients to fill the Mahua. He wanted to make his Mahua special, taste even better, and stay fresh for longer. So, he used more and more refined ingredients. Today, the famous "Guifaxiang" signs on the shops were written by a famous artist named Zhao Banzhi. Thanks to these improvements, the mixed and stuffed Mahua became one of the "Three traditional snacks of Tianjin."
What Makes It Special?
Each Shibajie Mahua has a special filling in the middle. This filling is like a tasty muesli! It's made with a mix of sesame seeds, peach seeds, melon seeds, green plums, osmanthus flowers, and a little bit of essence water for flavor.
After the Mahua is shaped, it's carefully fried in peanut oil over a low heat. Once it's perfectly golden, rock candy is added, and it's sprinkled with melon shreds and other delicious toppings. This makes Shibajie Mahua crunchy, sweet, and full of different textures!
Main Ingredients
To make this special snack, some of the key ingredients include:
- Rock candy
- Walnut meat
- Soybean oil
- Peanut oil
- Wheat flour
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Min zingiber (a type of ginger)
