One of the weirdest things that I have noticed since I started living with my good friend Joseph Katz, is that his family loves to have a sweet breakfast–French toast, waffles, donuts, pancakes, chocolate croissants, almond croissants, and all kinds of casseroles–which are common breakfast foods in the US. On the other hand, only salty egg-based dishes have been  the best fit for my type of breakfast. I realized that I was actually the “weird” one here, not because I had a distaste for sweet breakfast (in fact, I love it), but because of the tremendous cultural difference between the breakfast styles of my hometown Tianjin and that of my adopted hometown here in Alabama. 

Last month we saw Tomato and Egg Stir-fry, the king of Chinese cafeteria food and practically the simplest and most nostalgia-inducing dish for all Chinese international students. This time I’d like to introduce a unique type of pancake that perfectly represents a Tianjin breakfast and that no one could ever resist--Jianbing guozi.

 It was said that Jianbing guozi was invented by Zhuge Liang, the chancellor of Shu Nation, during China’s Three Kingdom Period 1800 years ago. Zhuge ordered his soldiers to cook batters on their gongs when his army was under siege in between two paralleled rivers and lost all their cooking equipment. 

Jianbing guozi is more than a traditional breakfast in Tianjin; it gives people physical and mental charge, similar to the role of coffee here in the West. People in Tianjin have so much passion for jianbings to the extent that we are willing to spend more than an hour in line to have a taste; this is ironic since jianbings are usually served as a quick breakfast. 

Jianbings don’t share many similarities with the puffy pancakes we are familiar with in the U.S. except for the fact that they are both pan-fried and both make people hungry.  But they do share one commonality: the second pancake one makes is always better than the first. So, a tip for you beforehand: please do dare to experiment again after the first try!

Tools

1 round 15-inch griddle (or a large frying pan)

1 batter spreader

1-2 crepe turners

Ingredients

¾ cup mung bean powder

½ cup soybean powder

¼ cup flour

1-2 eggs

1 cooked youtiao (a fried stick of dough)

Sesame seeds

Soybean sauce

Chili oil sauce

Batter Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl. Mix 2 cups warm water, ¾ cup mung bean powder, ½ cups soybean powder, and ¼ cups flour together until a consistent batter is formed. (Test the stickiness by scooping some batter using a fork, the batter should be thick but able to run down the fork) If the batter is too sticky, slowly add more warm water while stirring.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Take the batter out and keep stirring until it is smooth and ready.

Cooking

1. Put the griddle on the stove, then turn on the gas to medium heat.

2. Wait until the griddle is evenly heated, then smear a thin layer of vegetable oil. (Paper towels are good tools to use when smearing oil on the griddle)

3. Scoop a cup of batter on the griddle, then use the spreader to evenly spread the batter in a circular motion until a round crepe is formed.

4. As soon as the batter is spread evenly into a circle, crack 1-2 eggs directly onto the crepe, then spread them until all the seams on the crepe are covered. (The eggs not only add flavor but also slow the cooking process)

5. Before the eggs are fully cooked, sprinkle chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top.

6. When bubbles start to form under the crepe, use the crepe turners to gently separate the crepe from the griddle, working in from the edges.

7. When the crepe is completely separated from the griddle, use your hand and grab two sides of the crepe to quickly turn it over. (If the crepe completely sticks on the griddle, turn the heat down a bit when trying next time)