Bawang Su: He County’s Legendary Sesame Pastry

1. Bawang Su: A Two-Thousand-Year Taste — He County’s Must-Try Pastry

Imagine walking the historic streets of He County, Anhui, when a warm, toasty sesame aroma draws you in. You touch a golden, layered pastry — bite once, and the crisp crust shatters while the sweet, nutty filling melts on your tongue. This is Bawang Su, a traditional Anhui snack with over two thousand years of history. More than a pastry, it’s a taste of legend: a crunchy, sesame-scented bite that connects you to local history. Missing Bawang Su on your Anhui visit means leaving your culinary journey incomplete.

2. A Dramatic Heroic Origin: The Story Behind Bawang Su

He County’s Bawang Su fame is entwined with a heroic legend. Its origins trace back to the fall of the Qin dynasty and the Chu–Han conflicts around 202 BCE. Legend says Western Chu leader Xiang Yu, retreating to the Wujiang riverside near He County, was destitute and exhausted. Locals, moved by compassion, baked a crispy, fragrant biscuit using fine wheat flour, prized sesame, and clear vegetable oil to comfort him. Touched by the gesture, Xiang Yu reportedly praised it. Villagers began calling the pastry “Bawang Su” (Overlord’s Pastry), commemorating history and emphasizing its unrivaled crispness.

3. Artisan Craftsmanship: Ingredients and Meticulous Technique

Bawang Su’s flavor comes from carefully selected ingredients and precise craft. Core ingredients include wheat flour, sesame, vegetable oil, and sugar. Locally sourced white sesame is key—when toasted, it releases a peak aroma that defines the pastry. Traditional production is artisanal: dough mixing, oil-dough preparation, stuffing, shaping, and baking. Makers knead the water-oil dough until smooth, create an oil-rich layer for flakiness, wrap and fold repeatedly to form hundreds of thin layers. After filling with sugar or sweet paste, the pastry is shaped, coated in sesame, and baked. Each step demands skill and precise heat control, producing the pastry’s golden color, delicate layers, and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

4. A Bold, Fragrant Taste Experience

Fresh from the oven, Bawang Su is at its peak. The golden surface is studded with toasted sesame, inviting a bite. A satisfying crisp “crack” signals the flaky exterior giving way to countless buttery layers. Toasted sesame adds nutty depth, wheat provides a gentle grain aroma, and mild sweetness ties everything together. The result is a perfectly balanced, melt-in-your-mouth pastry deserving its “Bawang” (overlord) name — unrivaled among Anhui snacks.

5. From Daily Snack to Gift: Bawang Su’s Cultural Role

In He County, Bawang Su is more than an everyday pastry — it’s part of local life. Locals enjoy it with tea for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up. During festivals like Chinese New Year, families prepare or buy Bawang Su as a symbol of sweetness and prosperity. It’s also a beloved gift: students, workers, and travelers bring boxed Bawang Su home, sharing taste and hometown warmth. As a representative of He County food and Anhui traditional snacks, it offers visitors a delicious way to experience local culture.

6. Tasting Guide for Travelers: Tips & Recommendations

• Best time to try: Fresh and hot — long-standing bakeries sell straight from the oven.
• Where to buy: Century-old pastry shops in He County town center or bakeries around Wujiang. These shops usually maintain traditional methods.
• Pairing: Pair with green or floral tea to balance flavors.
• Buying as gifts: Choose vacuum-sealed boxed versions for travel — they last longer, though slightly less crisp than fresh.

7. Recreating the Legend at Home: A Simple Home Recipe

Ingredients: all-purpose flour, lard or butter, white sugar, white sesame, water.
Steps:

1. Make a water-oil dough by mixing flour, sugar, fat, and water; let it rest.
2. Make oil dough by combining flour and fat.
3. Roll out water-oil dough, wrap in oil dough, fold two to three times for layers.
4. Fill with sugar, shape into rounds, coat with sesame, and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes until golden.

Home versions won’t perfectly replicate hundreds of layers but capture the spirit and deliciousness.

8. Closing: One Crunch, One Story

Bawang Su travels from ancient battlefields to modern teashops — a pastry carrying a hero’s legend and local care. With simple, honest ingredients and artisan technique, it’s a bold, sesame-scented treat that melts in your mouth. When visiting Anhui, follow the toasted-sesame trail to He County and discover this golden, historic pastry — a crunchy taste of Chinese culinary heritage.