A Hangzhou classic: tofu skin wrapped around a thin layer of seasoned ground pork, rolled tight, cut into short segments, and deep-fried until golden and curled so the pieces crackle like little bells. Served with sweet bean sauce and pepper-salt.
A Hangzhou specialty built around Dongwushan tofu skin (also called Sixiang tofu skin) from Fuyang, prized since the Tang dynasty for being thin as a cicada's wing. The name 'ringing bells' refers both to the curled bell-like shape of the fried segments and to the crisp sound they make when bitten. The dish was named one of 36 official Hangzhou dishes by Zhejiang Province in 1956, ten of which were supplied by the historic Lou Wai Lou restaurant; a popular legend also ties the name to a wandering hero honored by a small eatery, though this is unverified.
Each segment is golden, blistered, and curled, the layers of tofu skin shattering into flakes the moment you bite — the crisp snap is where the name comes from. Inside is a thin seam of savory pork, not a heavy filling. Dipped in sweet bean sauce it turns sweet-savory; with pepper-salt it stays dry and aromatic. Eat it straight from the oil, while it still rings.
Everything depends on the tofu skin being bone-dry and the oil being moderate. The skin is so thin that any residual moisture turns the rolls leathery instead of crisp, so it is kept dry and the pork layer spread thin. The rolls go in at about 40 percent oil heat (roughly 120-130°C) — gentle enough that the layers dry out and curl rather than scorch — then fried over medium-low until uniformly golden. Too hot and the outside browns before the inside crisps and the skin tastes burnt; too cool and the rolls drink oil and go soft. The seam is sealed with a little starch slurry so the roll holds shape as the layers shrink and curl.
Variations
Some versions are stuffed with pork only; others add minced shrimp, water chestnut, or scallion to the filling. A vegetarian version skips the meat entirely, true to the tofu skin's temple-cooking roots. The classic accompaniments are sweet bean sauce and pepper-salt, though some serve it with a sweet-and-sour dip; the tofu skin itself can be substituted but loses the signature shatter without the thin Dongwushan style.
On the Palate
Where Crispy Fried Bell Rolls sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 3
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 16 min
Mix ground pork with salt, a little soy sauce, white pepper, minced scallion and ginger, and a splash of water; stir until tacky.
- 24 min
Lay a sheet of tofu skin flat and spread a thin, even layer of the pork over it, leaving a border at one edge.
Watch outKeep the tofu skin bone-dry and spread the pork thin — any residual moisture turns the rolls leathery instead of crisp.
- 35 min
Roll the skin up tightly into a slim cylinder, brushing the final edge with starch slurry to seal the seam.
- 43 min
Cut the roll crosswise into segments about 4 cm long.
- 53 min
Heat frying oil to about 40 percent heat (120-130°C), low enough that a chopstick raises fine slow bubbles.
Watch outFry at only about 40% heat, roughly 120 to 130 degrees — gentle enough that the layers dry and curl; too hot and the outside burns before the inside crisps.
- 64 min
Slip the segments in and fry over medium-low heat until golden and curled, about 3 minutes, turning so they color evenly.
Watch outFry over medium-low, turning, until evenly golden and curled — even colour means every layer has dried through.
- 71 min
Lift out and drain on a rack or paper.
- 81 min
Serve hot with sweet bean sauce, pepper-salt, and lengths of white scallion.
