Jiaoquan

Jiaoquan (Simplified Chinese: 焦圈; Traditional Chinese: 焦圈; Pinyin: Jiāoquān) is a Beijing deep-fried wheat-dough snack shaped as a hollow ring (or linked twin rings). Crispy outside and lightly hollow inside, it is the classic savory companion to sour Douzhi at hutong breakfast stalls and is a staple of Beijing Food snack culture, alongside Youtiao and sesame flatbreads.

Characteristics

Unlike long Youtiao sticks, jiaoquan are ring-shaped, deeply browned, and often sold in pairs. Texture is crunchy and lightly oily; flavor is plain-savory so it absorbs douzhi and pickled sides.

Ingredients (overview)

Wheat flour dough (sometimes with a little alkali or leavening), cut and joined into rings, then deep-fried until golden-brown and hollow.

History and culture

A folk breakfast item of old Beijing rather than a banquet dish. Street vendors and snack houses (e.g. Huguo Temple-style stalls) still sell jiaoquan with Douzhi, pickled mustard tuber, and spicy cabbage.

Serving and variations

Eaten hot with Douzhi; also with soy milk or as a crunchy side to porridge. See Beijing Food.

See also

• Douzhi
• Youtiao
• Beijing Food
• Jianbing
• Chinese Snack
• List of dishes (A-Z)