Jinyun shaobing: Traditional Chinese snack goes global

The scrumptious Jinyun shaobing is stuffed with a variety of mouthwatering fillings. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The Jinyun shaobing, a traditional Chinese snack that originated in Jinyun county – located in Lishui city, in East China's Zhejiang province – has been enjoying increasing popularity both at home and abroad with its unique flavors and long and distinguished history.

The snack, also known more simply as Jinyun bucket-baked rolls, is made of yeast dough stuffed with various fillings – including pork, dried vegetables, sesame seeds and maltose syrup. It's baked in a barrel-shaped oven at high temperature until the crust is crisp and golden.

The snack has been passed down for more than 650 years in Jinyun. It was once a favorite food of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), who tasted it during his military campaign in Jinyun. Liu Ji, a famous scholar and official of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote a poem praising the snack.

Two girls get stuck into some Jinyun shaobings. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Jinyun shaobing is not only a delicacy for locals and tourists, but is also a source of income and pride for many Jinyun folks.

The local government has attached great importance to the development of the Jinyun shaobing industry and set up a special office to support it in 2014.

As of the end of 2022, the Jinyun shaobing industry had generated a total output value of 3.02 billion yuan ($416.7 million), providing jobs for some 24,000 people.

It had opened more than 8,000 stores across China and in 16 countries and regions – including the United States, Italy, Spain, Australia and in the United Arab Emirates.

To adapt to different markets and tastes, Jinyun shaobing makers have innovated their products with various fillings such as seafood and cheese.

The Jinyun shaobing is said to have not only enriched the Chinese food culture, but also boosted rural development and poverty alleviation in Jinyun. It has driven the growth of related industries such as wheat, pork, dried vegetables, barrels, furnace cores and packaging.