Xinzhuang Pan-Fried Bun Introduction
Cai Xinqi (born in 1951) is engaged in aquaculture, while his wife Huang Lijiao (born in 1953) worked in a garment processing factory. In 1986, Huang Lijiao quit her job at the factory to take care of their children who were attending elementary school, to prevent them from wandering around after school. To supplement the family income, she sought to develop a side business, inspired by her sister who had participated in community cooking events. Huang Lijiao learned how to make buns and steamed bread from her sister and set up a stall at home to sell pan-fried dumplings. Soon after, they also started selling egg pancakes and pan-fried dumplings. In the early days, the dumplings were filled with cabbage, minced meat, and scallions. One year, during the temple festival at Zhuangmiao Jiaying Temple, the whole village was required to eat vegetarian food, so they switched to making dumplings that were only filled with vegetables, a tradition that continues to this day. Because making pan-fried dumplings is labor-intensive, her mother Su Xueyun (born in 1930) helps with the filling, while her father Cai Dengxuan (born in 1930) assists with frying. Each day, they only make 120 small-sized pan-fried dumplings, and once they are sold out, they do not produce more, encouraging customers to come early the next day. This is the commitment of Xinwen Pan-Fried Dumplings. The outer skin is made of flour, and the filling consists of cabbage and carrots. The preparation involves mixing the cabbage and carrots with seasonings the night before, and setting it aside...
