Taishan Jianbing (Thin Grain Crepe)

Taishan jianbing is a thin flatbread made from a batter of ground mixed grains—maize, millet, soybean and sorghum—spread and baked on a hot griddle, golden in colour, thin as paper and crisp as pastry, low in oil and long-keeping, one of the most representative traditional staples of Tai'an and Shandong.

Tai'an has been making jianbing for more than a thousand years, born of the northern farming tradition of working mixed grains with care. In 2006 the city listed the Taishan jianbing craft among its first intangible heritage items, calling it a thousand-year art of whole-grain working and a piece of Tai'an's living urban heritage.

Jianbing can be eaten on its own but is most often rolled around scallion, dipped in sauce or wrapped with stir-fried vegetables or braised meats; the Tai'an classic rolls it with local cabbage, tofu and savoury paste. It can also be cut and softened in soup, a versatile food.

Its gossamer-thin skin, the natural fragrance of mixed grains and its low-oil, long-keeping character are what set Taishan jianbing apart from crepes elsewhere.