Sugar-Glazed Fried Dough (Tang You Bing)
A deep-fried dough disc with a layer of brown-sugar dough pressed on top that caramelises dark and crisp, sold at breakfast stalls with soy milk.
How to eat it
Eat it straight away; it goes soft and chewy within the hour. The sugar layer is hotter than it looks, so bite the plain side first.
The story behind the dish
The sweet cousin of the plain fried dough sheet that Beijing eats for breakfast. A thin layer of brown-sugar dough is pressed onto the disc before frying so the surface caramelises while the inside stays soft. It is one of the few sweet items on a traditional Beijing breakfast table, where most dishes are salty, and it is usually shared alongside a savoury one rather than eaten alone.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.