Xinzhuang Fried Dumplings Introduction
Cai Xinqi (born in 1951) is engaged in aquaculture, while his wife Huang Lijiao (born in 1953) worked in a ready-to-wear processing factory. In 1986, Huang Lijiao quit her job at the garment factory to take care of their children who were in elementary school, preventing them from loitering after school. To supplement the household income and develop a family side business, she learned to make buns and steamed buns from her younger sister, who had participated in community cooking activities. She started selling "Shui Jian Bao" (pan-fried buns) at home and soon added egg pancakes and pan-fried dumplings to her offerings. In the early days, the Shui Jian Bao fillings consisted of cabbage, minced pork, and onion oil. One year, during the temple celebration at Zhuangmiao Jiaying Temple, the whole village had to eat vegetarian food and could not consume meat-filled buns, so she switched to making only vegetable-filled Shui Jian Bao, a practice that continues to this day. Because making Shui Jian Bao is labor-intensive, her mother Su Xueyun (born in 1930) helps with the filling, while her father Cai Dengxuan (born in 1930) helps with the frying. The bite-sized Shui Jian Bao are made in a daily fixed quantity of only 120 pieces, and once they are sold out, no more will be made. Customers are advised to come early the next day; this is the promise of Xinwen Shui Jian Bao. The outer skin of Xinwen Shui Jian Bao is made from flour, and the filling consists of cabbage and carrots. The preparation involves mixing the cabbage and carrots with seasonings the night before, setting them aside; then mixing flour with an appropriate amount of water...
