Chinese pancakes: 2,000-year-old treat back in spotlight after superstar Rihanna whips up snack during China visit

Rihanna clearly enjoying herself making the famous Chinese treat on a Shanghai street. Photo: Douyin

• Barbados-born singer promotes beauty brand in Shanghai, spots street stall
• Cooks delicious breakfast snack, jian bing, which is enjoyed worldwide

Famous singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty, better known worldwide as Rihanna, has skilfully made a Chinese-style pancake during a trip to Shanghai, delighting mainland social media.

The superstar from Barbados travelled to Shanghai in the middle of May to promote her beauty brand Fenty Beauty, visiting one of her company's shops and joining a live-streaming session with a Chinese beauty blogger.

When she saw a pancake stall on the street, Rihanna said she would like to try it, reported the news outlet sina.com.cn.

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The global superstar is seen in a viral video spreading batter across a frying pan, cracking an egg on a fried pancake, and sprinkling it with chopped green onions, just like a local pancake vendor.

When she finished, she asked the stall owner who was standing next to her and occasionally offering guidance: "This is jian bing?"

Jian bing, or jian bing guo zi, is the Chinese name for the pancake snack, which is popular at home and abroad.

A Chinese blogger who was given a portion of the food made by Rihanna was complimentary.

"It is as crisp as those sold on the street!" she says in the video.

Jian bing is a traditional breakfast originally enjoyed by residents in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, or in Tianjin municipality in the north of the country.

Now it is available on the street in almost every mainland city thanks to its convenience, reasonable price and versatility.

The core ingredients are batter made from wheat and grain flour, eggs, and sauces.

The cooking method begins with a big spoon of the batter spread onto a frying pan with a special spatula.

Then an egg is cracked onto the surface of the pancake, followed by a layer of chilli or sweet sauce, then a sprinkling of coriander or finely chopped green onions.

The final step is to put a thin and crispy fried cracker on the pancake before folding it and sometimes cutting it into portions. The entire process takes just 2-3 minutes.

One jian bing is usually sold for about 10 yuan (US$1.4) in China, but costs more with fillings such as sausage, ham, diced pickles, or vegetables.

There are several theories about the origins of jian bing.

The most widely believed legend claims it was invented by Zhuge Liang (181-234), a respected statesman, strategist, and inventor in ancient China.

It is claimed that at one point Zhuge Liang led his army to fight in Shandong and hurried to escape from his enemies, leaving behind their cooking utensils.

As his men got hungry, the military leader came up with the idea.

The breakfast snack has also gone viral overseas.

In 2015, a Chinese student studying in New York set up a food stall selling it in the downtown area of the city. The student, surnamed Li, said she made US$1,500 every day.

People have told how much they love the dish on mainland social media.

"During my middle school life, we had jian bing every morning. Our teacher said she could tell what ingredients we added from the smell or the food traces left on the homework we handed in," one person said on Weibo.

"Years ago, when I did not have much money, I often ate jian bing for lunch. It is cheap, delicious, and contains some nutrition," said another.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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