Fried Lotus Petals

Lotus cultivation in Jinan's Daming Lake dates back over a millennium, and using lotus petals as food was documented in the Song Dynasty. The fried version became a Jinan specialty by at least the Republican era: the writer Lao She, during his years teaching at Qilu University in the early 1930s, wrote the essay 'Eating Lotus Flowers' (吃莲花的), humorously recounting a friend's frustrated attempt to order fried lotus petals from a puzzled cook who thought it sounded like a remedy for burns. The dish uses only white-flowered varieties in mid-bloom—red lotus is considered ornamental only—and is available merely weeks each summer. By the 1970s the practice had largely disappeared from restaurant menus; today only a handful of Jinan establishments revive it seasonally.

The batter puffs light as cumulus—golden, shatteringly crisp—and beneath it the petal is gossamer-thin and faintly floral, nearly dissolved. Red bean paste in the center reads as a sweet, earthy counterweight. Osmanthus sugar scattered over the top makes the whole thing smell like a summer garden in full bloom.

The egg-white meringue batter (雪丽糊) is made by whipping egg whites to stiff peaks and folding in a small amount of flour. When this batter hits hot oil, trapped air bubbles expand rapidly, creating an extremely light, airy shell—similar in principle to Japanese tempura or a soufflé batter. Two-stage frying mirrors the classical double-fry method: the first fry at lower temperature (around 160°C) cooks the interior and sets the batter structure without browning; the second fry at higher temperature (around 180°C) drives residual moisture from the shell and cures it to lasting crispness.