Guoba Cai

Guoba cai (gaba cai) is a breakfast found only in Tianjin: a batter of mung bean and millet is griddled into crepes, dried, cut into strips and steeped in a special vegetarian gravy, then dressed with sesame paste, fermented bean curd and chilli oil.

Said to have originated in the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty, it is one of the emblems of Tianjin's everyday breakfast scene.

Eaten hot, often alongside flatbread or fried dough sticks, it is the warming breakfast Tianjiners reach for most on a morning.

A glistening, savoury gravy and tender-yet-springy crepe strips give it a salty, refreshing bite full of texture.