Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I'm reading a book right now which takes place in a Shandong village, and one food item mentioned that I've never heard of is referred to as "Fistcakes."

These are flatbreads, stuffed with eggs and green onions, then rolled up and eaten with both fists - hence, the name "Fistcakes."

I don't even know if these are real food items, since the book is a work of fiction, but still, they sound wonderful. 

gnatharobed, or anyone else familiar with regional Chinese peasant cuisine, do you have any familiarity with these?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, according to multiple sources online, and going to the Chinese source of what "fistcake" characters are (拤饼), it turns out the bing mentioned in Red Sorghum are what's known today as or closest to moo-shu crepes (单饼). Much more portable and less dense than its mantou counterparts, you can roll these up, carry them in the field, and eat them plain, tearing them off in bits, or rolling them full of scallion stalks and egg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, goodeats said:

Okay, according to multiple sources online, and going to the Chinese source of what "fistcake" characters are (拤饼), it turns out the bing mentioned in Red Sorghum are what's known today as or closest to moo-shu crepes (单饼). Much more portable and less dense than its mantou counterparts, you can roll these up, carry them in the field, and eat them plain, tearing them off in bits, or rolling them full of scallion stalks and egg.

What's a "mantou" counterpart? Is this related to the Korean "mandu?" How did you know I was reading "Red Sorghum?"

13 hours ago, Sundae in the Park said:

Sounds like jian bing to me. Scroll down to day 3 in Beijing in Kenji's great Asia adventures and the picture of jian bing actually shows it in a two-fisted hold.

And I have to say, that thing (jian bing?) in the two-fisted hold looks *goooooooooooood*. I assume it needs to be eaten relatively soon after it's cooked for maximum enjoyment?"

---

If you Google Fistcakes, this thread comes up on page one, so it can't be a very common term.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...