At the table
Break the twist into small pieces and enjoy its crisp strands and sweet filling. Check the filling or package label, as flavors and sizes differ.
Contains wheat. Traditional mixed filling can include sesame, peanuts, osmanthus, sugar-preserved ginger and colored candied strips. Ingredients and oils vary across products; check the exact label if you avoid nuts, sesame or animal-derived ingredients.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Fillings and sizes vary.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sweet
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Crisp twisted strands.
- How it’s made
- Mix and rest dough, form strands, twist and fry.
Fillings and sizes vary.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Tianjin.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有十八街麻花吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Tianjin's Shibajie mahua keeps a street in its name
Shibajie mahua takes its name from a Tianjin shop on East Tower Eighteenth Street. In the early 20th century, a mahua seller known as Liu Laoba is credited with starting the craft. Its signature is more than twisted dough: fine strands enclose a crisp filling, and makers adjust fermentation and dough to the flour and the season. The hand-twisting craft was added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014.