From Favorite Chinese Foods to a Full Day at Yin Studio
Enjoying Pan fried dumpling together
Aaron and Michael had already been to China once. During their first trip, they discovered several Chinese dishes and snacks they loved. So when they planned their second visit, Aaron had a different idea: instead of simply eating them again, he wanted to learn how to make them.
Five or six months ago, he found Yin Studio through our Tripadvisor reviews and booked four workshops. A week later, he added a fifth — a custom request for something he called “Shanghai pancake.”
That name was new to me. After 20 years of living in Shanghai, I had never heard of “Shanghai pancake,” so I asked Aaron to show me a photo. It turned out to be 煎饼果子 (jianbing guǒzi), a popular Chinese street breakfast made with a thin savory crepe, crispy fried guozi, sauces and other fillings.
It wasn’t on our menu yet, so we prepared it especially for them. We even got the tools needed to make it properly. We made the crepe batter, fried our own guozi, and prepared both a special savory sauce and chili sauce.
The process for making Jianbing guozi at Yin Studio in Shanghai.
Before making the finished jianbing, Aaron and Michael practiced spreading the crepe several times without any sauce or filling. Once they were comfortable with the technique, they moved on to the finished version — spreading the batter, adding the sauces, placing the crispy guozi, and folding everything together.
Our final work -Jianbing guozi in our dumpling making class in Shanghai
But the day wasn’t only about cooking.
As part of their experience, we also visited a local market together. I introduced them to some everyday Chinese foods and let them try a few things they might not normally encounter on a tourist itinerary, including Chinese ice cream and both sweet and savory shaobing.
Taste sweet and savory shaobing in local market with Yin Studio in Shanghai
In between their workshops, our assistant also took them to explore the Wukang Building area of the Former French Concession, giving them some time to rest and enjoy the neighborhood.
By the end of the day, they had completed five workshops: xiaolongbao, baozi, shrimp dumplings, guotie, and jianbing guozi.
We started at 10:00 in the morning and finished around 7:30 in the evening. They were very full by the end — understandably! So they packed up the remaining baozi to take away. I also suggested keeping the special jianbing sauces and using them as dipping sauces for the baozi. An unexpected combination, but actually a pretty good one.
Throughout the day, Michael thanked us several times for how carefully everything had been prepared and for how delicious the food was.
They are also now part of a little Yin Studio record: they are the first non-professional guests to book more than three workshops. Most of our guests who book three or more are professional chefs.
And perhaps the funniest discovery of the day was that we have something else in common: we both have two cats with family ties. They have two black cats; we have two “cow cats.” 🐄🐈
Their next stop was Jingdezhen. And after this experience, jianbing guozi may soon have a new place on the Yin Studio menu.
Culture Note: Jianbing Guozi — More Than Just a Pancake
煎饼果子 (jiānbing guǒzi) is one of China’s best-known street breakfasts. A thin savory batter is spread directly onto a hot griddle, then topped with sauces, crispy guozi and other fillings before being folded into a handheld breakfast.
The word 果子 (guǒzi) can be confusing because it often means “fruit” in everyday Chinese. In jianbing guozi, however, it refers to the crispy fried element inside the pancake.
Jianbing is especially associated with northern Chinese breakfast culture, and different regions and vendors have developed their own versions. The batter, sauces, fillings and crispy elements can all vary.
It also looks easier to make than it actually is. Getting the batter thin and even, spreading it quickly across the hot surface, and folding the finished jianbing neatly all take practice. That’s why Aaron and Michael first practiced making the plain crepes before moving on to the finished version with sauces and guozi.
Beginner Chinese: 煎饼果子
煎饼果子 — jiānbing guǒzi
Chinese street breakfast / savory crepe with a crispy filling
煎 (jiān) — to pan-fry
饼 (bǐng) — pancake / flatbread
果子 (guǒzi) — the traditional crispy fried filling in jianbing
Try saying:
我喜欢吃煎饼果子。
Wǒ xǐhuan chī jiānbing guǒzi.
“I like eating jianbing guozi.”
You can also ask:
你吃过煎饼果子吗？
Nǐ chīguo jiānbing guǒzi ma?
“Have you ever eaten jianbing guozi?”
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