Youzanzi (Fried Dough Twist)

Youzanzi is the Ningbo name for fried dough twists: ropes of dough folded, twisted and deep-fried into a crisp snack, made in both sweet and savory styles.

Said to date to the Qing Guangxu era, youzanzi is made entirely by hand with careful attention to recipe and frying, and has long been a favorite casual treat among Ningbo residents.

Eaten as a tea-time bite or grab-and-go snack, crisp and fragrant on its own; the savory version laced with local seaweed (taicai) is the most popular, briny with a taste of the sea.

Layered and shatteringly crisp, the savory twists carry a clean seaweed aroma and the sweet ones a lingering sugar note, a familiar flavor of Ningbo's lanes.