Beijing Sanzi Mahua (Fried Twisted Dough Sticks)

Beijing Sanzi Mahua (Fried Twisted Dough Sticks) has a long history and is a classic food of the Hui ethnic group, deeply loved by the people. Its production process is relatively complex. First is kneading the dough. High - quality "refined flour" (enriched flour) is required. Because of its high gluten content, the fried Sanzi Mahua can be crispy enough. Before kneading the dough, dissolve brown sugar and osmanthus sugar in water in advance, heat them, and set them aside for two days. When kneading the dough, dissolve alum, soda ash, and baking soda in warm water, mix them into the prepared brown sugar water, stir evenly, then add dry flour, and knead repeatedly until the dough is smooth. Then cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest. After the dough has rested, start twisting the strips. Twist the large piece of dough from one end to make it thin, and coil it into a vat or basin. After finishing, cover it with a cloth and let it rest for the second time. The time is adjusted according to the seasonal temperature, with the coiled strips being flexible and appropriate. Subsequently, pinch the rested coiled strips into 40 - gram dough pieces, stick them with sesame seeds mixed with boiling water, twist them into 10 - centimeter - long thin strips, stack them in a plate, cover them, and continue to let them rest. When the thin strips are rested and not tough, take two at a time, twist them thin and long, fold them in half twice to make eight, and finally hold the two ends tightly to make a date - pit shape with a wide middle and thin ends. It can also be made into a fan shape. When frying, heat the oil pan to 50% heat, slowly put the Sanzi Mahua blanks into the pan to set the shape. After it is basically shaped, put it completely into the pan and fry until golden brown. The finished Sanzi Mahua has a brown - yellow color, a complete shape, uniform strips, a crispy, sweet taste, with the unique sweetness of brown sugar and the fragrance of sesame. When you take a bite, the unique crispy taste makes you unable to stop eating. Sanzi Mahua is not only a daily snack. In the past "Cold Food Festival" (the day before Qingming Festival), because no fire was used for three days, as a convenient and delicious fried food, it became the first choice for people, so it also got the alias "Hanju". Nowadays, people can taste this delicacy at any time. It can be paired with sweet foods such as Pea Cake and Kidney Bean Rolls, or staple foods such as steamed cakes and pan - cakes, and with a bowl of tofu pudding, white - soup offal, or stewed meatballs, it is a rich and affordable food feast.