Gaogu building of Beicheng District, Yuxi city (Xinhua/Fu Wei)

Beicheng street of Yuxi City has been a busy place with many travelers since ancient times, and snacks there has been rich. Among them, Huoshao Baba, which is also known as baked pancake, is highly popular in Yunnan province. 

Shop Xingxianglou (Xinhua/Fu Wei)

Shop Xingxianglou is the place where people can buy the most authentic Huoshao Baba. Every morning, around 8 o’clock, there are people waiting in line in front of the shop to buy the first batch of baked pancakes. 

Wang Cuihua, the cook of Xingxianglou, comes to work at 7 o’clock every morning. The first thing she needs to do is to knead a dough made from wheat and barley and leaven it with yeast starter sponge levain, which is essential for making soft and chewy Huoshao Baba. 

There was only bean paste filling in the past, but Xingxianglou adds another two stuffing Yunnan ham and minced meat with chopped green onion according to customers’ demands. Except for bean paste filing, the other two stuffings are made freshly in the morning to guarantee the best taste.  

Freshly baked Huoshao Baba (Xinhua/Fu Wei)

Wang Cuihua’s husband, who is also the owner of shop Xingxianglou, inherits the skill of making Huoshao Baba from his grandfather. He often recalls the days when his father and grandfather made Huoshao Baba together. During that time, the father and son peddled in the street, covering a dustpan of Huoshao Baba with a white cloth which was air-permeable, shouting “Freshly baked pancake! Crispy!” After hearing the shouting, people would happily gather around to buy Baba. 

The first batch of Huoshao Baba in Xingxianglou is freshly baked at half past eight every morning, attracting a line of foodies from far away. “As long as we come to Yuxi, we must come to eat Huoshao Baba. They are fragrant and crispy, layer upon layer. Too yummy!” A customer form Kunming said.  

A customer is ready to enjoy Huoshao Baba(Xinhua/Fu Wei)

The last batch of Huoshao Baba is made at 16:00 every day. “To guarantee the quality of Huoshao Baba, the quantity of it must be limited,”Wang Cuihua said. 

Because people nowadays pay more attention to healthy diet, Wang Cuihua appropriately reduces the proportion of sugar in the filling and the oil in the dough, ensuring customers can eat more healthily on the premise of the same taste. 

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(Editors: Alison, Christine)