Northern China — particularly Beijing and Hebei
Northern Chinese sesame-coated flatbread baked in a clay tandoor or on a flat griddle. The laminated dough uses the same Chinese puff-pastry technique (water dough + oil dough) to create flaky layers, coated in sesame seeds and baked until golden. Eaten as breakfast alone or stuffed with you tiao (the ultimate Northern Chinese breakfast combo), braised pork, or beef.
Toasty sesame crust, rich flaky layers from the lamination, neutral wheat flavour that takes well to both sweet and savoury accompaniments
{"Laminated dough: water dough rolled around an oil-flour dough (like puff pastry but round)","Sesame coating: brush with maltose solution or beaten egg; press white sesame seeds firmly onto surface","Bake in clay oven (traditional tandoor style) for best results; oven at 220°C works acceptably","Varieties: plain (xian shaobing) or sweet (tian shaobing) with red bean paste filling"}
{"The Beijing breakfast: shaobing sliced open, stuffed with a whole you tiao — the contrasting textures are extraordinary","Sesame paste (zhi ma jiang) spread inside a hot shaobing before stuffing adds richness","Cold shaobing kept overnight is revived by a quick 5-minute oven at 180°C"}
{"Under-laminating the dough — layers are key for the flaky texture","Sesame seeds not pressed firmly enough — they fall off during baking","Over-baking until dough becomes hard rather than crisp-flaky"}
Land of Plenty — Fuchsia Dunlop; Northern Chinese culinary sources