🍽️ Shanghai Scallion Pancake

Layered scallion pancake, crisp outside.

Shanghai Scallion Pancake is a beloved street breakfast in Shanghai. A hot-water dough is rolled thin, spread with oil paste, generously sprinkled with scallions and fine salt, then rolled and folded many times to build layers before being pan-fried slowly until golden on both sides. The crust shatters crisp while the inside stays soft and chewy, filled with the savory aroma of frying scallion oil. Skill lies in the oil-paste ratio and careful folding, as well as steady pan heat. Shanghainese commonly eat it hot with a bowl of salty soy milk or rice porridge; freshly griddled at neighborhood stalls, it remains one of the city's most evocative morning flavors.