Shandong county's golden sanzi delicacy enchants palates

The golden sanzi, a renowned delicacy hailing from Huanggang town in Shanxian county of East China's Shandong province, represents an intangible cultural heritage of Heze city.

Its origins trace back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Today, Zhao Xian'an stands as the fourth guardian of this cherished tradition, diligently preserving its essence. Alongside his wife and supported by their two sons and two daughters-in-law, he operates the renowned sanzi making workshop.

Sanzi is crafted using pure cottonseed oil and high-quality wheat flour, undergoing over 10 processes. First, the dough is expertly shaped into a single, slender strand before being delicately wrapped around chopsticks and stretched to perfection. Then, it is swiftly fried in hot oil at temperatures between 200 and 300 degrees Celsius for 10 to 20 seconds, resulting in crisp, golden excellence.

A single and slender sanzi strand submerged in oil. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The sanzi made by the Zhao's family has won numerous culinary awards, bringing them success and a fulfilling life.

The freshly cooked golden sanzi combines crisp texture and alluring fragrance. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhao also launched a training course teaching sanzi making techniques for free to help local residents increase their income. 

Many methods of consuming sanzi are available today, including entrepreneurial inventions such sanzi soup and sanzi pancakes, which are widely favored by diners. (Edited by Zhang Ying)