Slender three-strand twisted dough fritters from Jishan County, Yuncheng, deep-fried to a delicate golden crisp and finished with a whisper-thin caramel glaze. Produced through an eighteen-step traditional process including natural fermentation, the fritters are small, uniform, and shattery — a living national intangible cultural heritage of Shanxi.
The documented commercial lineage of Jishan twisted fritters begins in the first year of the Qing Daoguang reign (1821), when Zhao Tailai of Xunzhong Village, Jishan, opened the grain-oil shop 'Desheng' and sold hand-made fritters alongside his goods. Zhao extended the traditional two-strand form to a three-strand twist, and the product gained renown across five provinces — Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan, and Gansu. Carried through six generations of heirs, the lineage registered the brand 'Zhao's Simifang'; the preparation technique was recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the enterprise as a Chinese Time-Honored Brand. Earlier lore holds that the twisted fritter form reached Jishan from the imperial kitchen during the Qianlong reign (1736–1796), carried back by a merchant from the capital.
The fritter shatters cleanly at first bite — a fine crackling of laminated dough — then dissolves into a sweet, faintly nutty richness from the caramel glaze and natural fermentation.
Natural fermentation produces carbon dioxide bubbles within the laminated dough strands. During shallow-surface frying at around 150°C, these bubbles expand and moisture in each layer flash-evaporates, pushing the strands apart into a porous, laminated structure. The lower oil temperature (versus standard deep frying) dehydrates the outer shell while leaving the interior gently cooked — producing a fine crunch without greasiness. The light caramel glaze (sucrose cooked to around 160°C) forms a thin, brittle candy coat that clicks against the teeth.
Variations
Zhao's Simifang offers four flavour profiles: grain-fragrant (五谷香), refreshingly sweet (爽心甜), melt-in-mouth (到口酥), and plain crisp (家常脆). Sesame or black sesame can be folded into one strand before twisting. A savoury version with five-spice and scallion is also produced locally for pairing with porridge.
On the Palate
Where Jishan Twisted Fritters sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
7 steps · 30 min
- 110 min
Night before: mix 50g flour with 25ml warm water and 30g old dough starter; knead smooth, cover and ferment at room temperature 8–12 hours until doubled in size and fragrant.
- 215 min
Knead main dough: combine 500g flour, 200ml warm water, 50g sugar, 30g lard, and the prepared fermented starter; knead 15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest 2 hours.
- 35 min
Divide rested dough into 30g portions; roll each into a 30cm rope; coat each rope lightly with sesame oil, arrange on a greased tray, cover and rest 30 minutes.
- 410 min
Take three ropes; twist two together in one direction, then wrap the third around them in the opposite direction to form a classic three-strand braid. Pinch ends firmly to secure.
- 58 min
Heat oil in a deep wide pan to 150°C; fry fritters in batches without crowding for 6–8 minutes, turning constantly, until deep golden and sounding hollow when tapped. Drain on a rack.
Watch outHold the oil at 150°C, not hotter, and fry until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped — the lower heat puffs the layers apart and dries them crisp; too hot and it browns outside while the middle stays doughy.
- 67 min
Cook 100g sugar with 30ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the syrup reaches 160°C (hard-crack stage). Working quickly, toss still-warm fritters in the syrup to coat in a thin glaze.
Watch outCook the sugar syrup to 160°C hard-crack and work fast — toss the still-warm fritters in the instant it's ready, because that syrup sets into a brittle candy shell within seconds and seizes if you dawdle.
- 75 min
Arrange glazed fritters on a rack to cool completely; the glaze sets in 3–5 minutes. Serve once fully hardened.
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