Snack · Deep-fried

18th Street Fried Dough Twist (Guifaxiang Mahua)

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

Some versions are stuffed with a core of nuts, candied fruit, and sesame before frying, so the crunch of the twist gives way to a sweet, textured filling.

Wheat dough mixed with sesame is braided into a thick twisted rope and deep-fried until hard and golden-brown, sometimes layered with a filled strand of nuts and preserved fruit. Keeps for weeks without going stale.

Why it's made this way: The twist's long shelf life made it practical travel food and a popular gift in a port city with heavy trade traffic.