Beijing Sesame Flatbread (Shaobing)
A layered flatbread with a sesame crust, baked until crisp outside and chewy inside, eaten plain, stuffed with braised beef, or as the bread served with copper-pot hotpot.
The story behind the dish
Layered flatbreads came to northern China along the old trade routes, and the Beijing version is defined by the sesame paste swirled between its layers before baking. The plain bread is the everyday breakfast of the city, but it also has a second life at the hotpot table, where a sesame flatbread is torn up to mop the broth at the end of the meal. Dozens of local sub-varieties exist, from spiral "luó sī zhuàn" to sweet versions with brown sugar.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.