Cong Bao Gui

Cong bao gui wraps fried dough sticks and scallion in a thin pancake spread with sweet sauce, then presses and griddles it until golden and crisp.

Folklore links it to Southern Song Hangzhou's loathing of the treacherous minister Qin Gui—"gui" alluding to his name—as people pressed and toasted the fried dough that bore it.

Eaten fresh off the griddle, brushed with sweet or chili sauce, as a street breakfast or snack.

Pressing it crisp outside and fragrant within, with a balanced sweet-savory sauce, is the point.