Shangyao Fried Dough Twists 上窑馓子
Shangyao Fried Dough Twists is featured among the local specialties of Anhui.
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Shangyao Fried Dough Twists (上窑馓子) are a thick-strip form of sanzi (馓子), coiled strands of fried dough, and a local speciality snack of Datong District (大通区) in Huainan (淮南), Anhui.
How it is made
The Datong district government lists the skills taught to makers in order: mixing the dough (和面), rolling it into strips (搓条), coiling the strips (盘条), resting the dough (醒面) and frying (炸制). In 2022 the making technique was selected as a trade in the Huicai Chef (徽菜师傅) training programme. The district's first Shangyao sanzi class, sixty trainees on a five-day course, sat its skills examination on 16 May 2023, and those who passed received a vocational skills certificate.
Flavour and texture
The Huainan human resources and social security bureau calls the snack Shangyao thick-strip sanzi (上窑粗条馓子) and gives two other names, youguo (油果), 'oil fruit', and youmiantiao (油面条), 'oil noodles'. It lists its qualities as soft, crisp, toasted, flaky, fragrant, savoury, salty and slightly sweet.
How it is eaten
It can be eaten as it is, or cooked into a braised dish or dipped into a hot pot. Easy to eat and popular locally, it was named one of Huainan's ten famous local snacks (淮南十大地方名小吃).
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-23. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.