Xinfeng Fried Dumplings Introduction
Cai Xin-qi (born in 1951) is engaged in aquaculture, while his wife Huang Li-jiao (born in 1953) worked at a ready-to-wear processing factory. In 1986, Huang Li-jiao quit her job in the factory to take care of their children who were in elementary school, to prevent them from wandering around after school. To help with family expenses and develop a side business, she learned to make buns and steamed bread from her sister, who had participated in community cooking activities. She then set up a stall at home selling shui jian bao (pan-fried buns) and soon added egg pancakes and fried dumplings to her menu. In the initial stage of the business, the shui jian bao was filled with cabbage, braised pork, and scallions. One year, during the celebration at the Zhuang Miao Jia Ying Temple, the entire village had to eat vegetarian, so they changed to only making cabbage-filled shui jian bao, a practice that continues to this day. Due to the labor-intensive nature of making shui jian bao, Cai's mother, Su Xue-yun (born in 1930), helps with the wrapping, while his father, Cai Deng-xuan (born in 1930), helps with frying. The petite shui jian bao are made in a limited quantity of only 120 pieces each day; once sold out, they do not make more, insisting that customers return the next day if they missed out. The outer layer of the shui jian bao is made from flour, and the filling consists of cabbage and carrots. The preparation involves mixing cabbage and carrots with seasonings the night before, while flour is mixed with appropriate water...
