Bread · Baked

Qizi Shaobing (Chess Piece Flatbread)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

The small, round, layered buns are named for their resemblance to Chinese chess pieces — a shape that also helps them stack and travel well for street sale.

A dough enriched with sesame oil and lard is layered and shaped into small, round, drum-like cakes, filled with meat, sugar, or preserved fruit and cured meats, then baked until golden and crisp.

Why it's made this way: The recipe developed in Tangshan's Fengrun area during the city's rapid industrial growth, suiting a fast-growing mining and factory workforce.