The "Lao Tongguan Thousand-Layer Pancake" boasts a golden-brown appearance with distinct stripes and a layered interior. The pastry swells and puffs up, featuring a crispy exterior and tender inside, perfectly executed through precise baking. It's best enjoyed when it's pleasantly warm to the touch. The unique crafting process of the Lao Tongguan Thousand-Layer Pancake involves blending refined flour with warm water, alkaline solution, and pork fat to form a homogeneous dough. This dough is then rolled into thin strips and flattened into round pancakes, which are baked in specialized ovens until they attain an even, golden hue.
When sliced open, the Lao Tongguan Thousand-Layer Pancake reveals a series of crisp, delicate layers, offering a warm and aromatic aroma of wheat. Its delectable taste makes it a versatile treat whether savored on its own or combined with various fillings. Compared to the conventional plain flatbread (bai jimo), this pancake's distinctiveness lies in its exceptional crispiness and warmth. Its remarkable quality makes it an indispensable ingredient for crafting the renowned Lao Tongguan Meat Sandwich (rou jiamo), where the pancake's layers and succulent meat blend seamlessly, providing a rich and satisfying culinary experience.
With its numerous layers, crunchy golden crust, and rich history, the Lao Tongguan Thousand-Layer Pancake stands as an emblematic delicacy of Shaanxi cuisine. Both customers and proprietors alike praise its unique flavor and delightful texture, contributing to its enduring popularity as a cherished local specialty.