Fragile moons that are richly crusted with sesame, Zhoucun shaobing uses a fusion of Chinese and western baking techniques fi ne-tuned by a dedicated baker.

Shaobing was a luxury item only the rich could afford to eat often in the past.

For the common folks, it was served on festive occasions, such as weddings and birthdays, for its traditional connotations of reunion and well being.

The turning point came in 1958 when Guo joined the state-owned Zhoucun Shaobing Company with his family recipe and techniques and taught workers how to make the breads.

In 1961 the factory patented the shaobing method and now has the exclusive right to call its products "Zhoucun Shaobing" after the district.

There are strict rules for selecting ingredients and cooking.

Wheat and sesame must be grown locally. The sesame must be stir-fried and toasted a golden-brown.

The pastry chef puts a ball of well-kneaded dough onto a porcelain sheet, and rolls it out into a thin pancake, which is then covered with sesame and then baked on a stovetop.

"It only takes me several seconds to roll out the pancake. Usually I am able to make about 3,000 pieces a day," says Xue Guiyun, 40, who has worked in the factory for 15 years.

The traditional craft of making shaobing in Zhoucun was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the only one of its kind in Shandong province.

Currently, there are more than 400 skilled craftsmen producing a total of over 1,000 tons of shaobing each year. Apart from the sesame, shaobing also come in flavors ranging from the traditional sweet and salty, to spicy, creamy, seafood and vegetable flavors.

If you visit Zhoucun, you can also see the snack-themed museum where the history of the time-honored brand and the traditional way of making shaobing are documented.

The museum has become a hot tourist spot which attracts visitors from all over the world.

You can contact the writer atwangqian@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 10/05/2011 page9)

By Wang Qian (China Daily)