A flaky, layered oil-pastry from Shou County in Huainan — round and flat, golden and shattering, filled with crystal sugar, chrysanthemum preserved fruit and walnut. Named after a legend in which the crisp rounds revived a famished general who later became the first Song emperor.
The founding legend holds that in 956 CE, Later Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin was campaigning against the Southern Tang near present-day Shou County. Exhausted from the campaign and unable to eat, he was revived by crispy, layered oil-pastry rounds brought by a local cook — and his grateful exclamation that the pastry had 'saved the royal carriage' (大救驾) gave the pastry its name. Zhao Kuangyin went on to found the Song Dynasty in 960 CE as Emperor Taizu, and the founding legend fixed his name to the pastry forever. The recipe earned a 1979 Anhui provincial quality award, a 1985 national light-industry prize, and is now listed as an Anhui intangible cultural heritage.
A bite shatters the outer shell into a cascade of golden flakes that dust the palm. The filling is moist but not sticky — layers of crystal-sugar sweetness, honeyed kumquat, and the faint bitterness of walnut interweave. The pastry dissolves almost before the chew begins, leaving a clean, lard-sweet finish.
The pastry is made by layering two doughs: a pliable water-lard dough (with gluten) and a crumbly all-fat oil dough (without gluten). Stacking and rolling the two together cuts the gluten network into dozens of separate sheets with a fat barrier between each layer. During deep-frying, water trapped in the water-lard dough vaporises explosively, pushing the layers apart to form hollow, paper-thin shells. The lard's fatty-acid compounds develop complex aromas via thermal decomposition at frying temperatures, and the surface undergoes the Maillard reaction to produce the characteristic even golden colour.
Variations
Traditional filling centres on crystal sugar, chrysanthemum fruit, walnut and green-red candied peel; modern artisan versions include sesame paste or lotus-seed paste fillings. The canonical shape is a flattened disc; an elongated thin-slab form exists in some county shops but is less common.
On the Palate
Where Shouxian Dajiujia Pastry sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 115 min
Make the water-lard dough: combine flour, lard and warm water; knead until smooth and elastic, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 210 min
Make the oil dough: rub flour and cold lard together until it just holds together; no kneading needed.
- 310 min
Prepare the filling: finely chop crystal sugar, chrysanthemum fruit, walnuts and green-red candied peel; mix together.
- 410 min
Divide both doughs into equal portions. Flatten one oil-dough ball and wrap it inside one water-lard-dough ball; pinch the seam firmly closed.
Watch outPinch the seam completely shut when wrapping the oil dough — a leak lets the fat escape and the pastry deflates instead of puffing hollow.
- 515 min
Roll the wrapped ball into a thin oval, fold into thirds, then roll flat again; rotate 90° and repeat once more to create dozens of laminated layers.
- 610 min
Roll the laminated dough into a circle and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the centre; gather the edges, pinch closed and press flat into a disc about 1cm thick.
Watch outRoll and fold to build dozens of even layers without tearing the skin — a broken layer lets steam vent early and the shell stays dense.
- 710 min
Heat lard or neutral oil to 160°C. Deep-fry the pastries in batches over medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side, turning gently, until evenly golden.
Watch outHold the oil around one hundred sixty degrees so the pastry rises slowly and colors evenly — too hot browns the outside before the layers can push apart.
- 85 min
Lift out with a spider, drain briefly on a rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving; the pastry continues to crisp as residual heat evaporates moisture.
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