Crab-shell Pastry

Xiekehuang is a small baked pastry of layered short-crust dough cooked against an oven wall; its round, golden form resembling a crab shell gives it the name. The tops are usually studded with sesame, and it comes savoury (scallion-oil, pork) or sweet (red-bean, sugar).

Dating to the Qing dynasty, xiekehuang is a traditional Jiangnan pastry; after reaching Shanghai it spread through the city's lane-side snack shops as a familiar breakfast and tea-time treat.

Best eaten warm, when the crust flakes away in layers over a soft interior; it is often paired with a bowl of soy milk or savoury soy-bean curd.

An authentic xiekehuang shows distinct flaky layers, fragrant toasted sesame and a clear savoury-or-sweet character, crisp in the mouth yet never hard.