The mild savory fritter has a soft thick rim and crisp thin parts that can be broken up and shared; cool it and offer manageable pieces.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Shapes range from a broad, crisp center to an open ring with a softer, thicker rim.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory and scallion-fragrant
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft thick sections and crisp thin sections.
- How it’s made
- Mix rice and soybean batters with scallion and salt, shape on a special ladle and deep-fry.
Shapes range from a broad, crisp center to an open ring with a softer, thicker rim.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Hubei.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有武汉面窝吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A rice ring in Wuhan’s breakfast routine
In Wuhan, breakfast is called guozao, and mianwo belongs to that morning routine. Despite the mian in its name, the traditional batter is made with rice slurry and soybean milk, seasoned with scallions and salt. A special ladle with a raised center gives the fritter a soft, thick rim and a thin, crisp middle that can become a hole. A local story credits a Hankou shaobing seller in the late Qing dynasty with devising the shape, but its inventor remains uncertain. The rice-and-soy ring is part of Wuhan’s everyday breakfast culture.