Xuwu Fried Dumplings Introduction
Chen Shizong (born in 1960) started selling pan-fried buns at the age of 27. Initially, he sold them in Wushi, using a cart to travel to nearby villages. He worked early mornings and late nights, with the price of one bun starting at 5 NT dollars. Since 2009, he has been selling at the current location. The Xinshi Pan-Fried Buns use all-purpose flour, and the filling includes pork, cabbage, spices, tofu skin, carrots, and shallots. The method is as follows: the flour is fermented and set aside. The pork is shredded and stir-fried with shallots, tofu skin, and spices, then set aside. The cabbage and carrots are blanched, then stir-fried with shallots and seasonings, and set aside. A small piece of fermented dough is flattened, filled with the sautéed cabbage and shredded pork, and formed into a bun. In the afternoon, the buns are sent to the market. In a hot pan, a small amount of salad oil is added, the buns are placed in the pan, and pressed down by hand. A mixture of flour and water is poured in, and they are pan-fried for about 6 minutes, flipped, and fried for another 4 minutes before being taken out and set aside. When customers buy them, they are packed for takeout. Adding salad oil to the pan prevents the buns from sticking, and the flour-water mixture is simply flour mixed with water.
