Shanghai 'scallion pancake god' to reopen business with license

The Shanghai street food vendor known as 'the god of scallion pancakes' will reopen his business armed with a license, thepaper.cn reports.

59-year-old Wu Gencun will have a licensed shop with the help of online food order platform 'Are you hungry', the local market supervision and management bureau announced on Tuesday.

The online platform is helping Wu find a shop near his old stall and will give him support for his reopening, after Wu signed a cooperation agreement with the group.

Wu was ordered by local authorities to close his Ada scallion pancake stall due to a lack of a proper license last month drawing much public attention.

Wu's scallion pancakes had been dubbed the most authentic Shanghai-style scallion pancake - a favorite traditional breakfast in the city.

A long queue was often found snaking in front of his small stall, with many diners traveling great distances to enjoy his delicacies.

The pancake stall gained even more customers after it was featured on a BBC food show.

The pancakes sell for five yuan (0.74 USD) each, with customers allowed to buy a maximum of 10 pancakes.

Wu said he will continue to maintain the same authentic Shanghai flavor, as well as follow food safety requirements with the reopening of his business.

Wu has been running his pancake business since 1982. He said he has stuck with the exact same formula for the past 34 years, as even a subtle change could alter the beloved flavor.