“Bite into Spring” with Spring Pancakes

Celebrate the beginning of spring with these healthy, traditional pancakes

今日立春，别忘了“咬春”！

The weather may suggest otherwise, but according to the solar calendar, spring has officially begun in China. Today marks the beginning of 立春 (lìchūn), the first solar term of the year, and Chinese across the country will be eating chunbing (春饼), or “spring pancakes,” to celebrate. 

Eating the chewy dough wraps, normally filled with fresh seasonal vegetables like luobo (萝卜, radishes) and jicai (荠菜, shepherd’s purse), on lichun is known as taking a “bite into spring (咬春 yǎochūn).” The expression is a traditional saying that refers to both embracing the new season and consuming the vegetables’ nutrition to prevent illness. It’s suggested that once you “bite into spring,” you'll feel energized for the rest of the season.

Traditionally, chunbing were presented with fresh vegetables on a single platter, called a chunpan (春盘, spring plate.) We know this from imperial records dating back to the Tang dynasty (618 - 907), which state, “On lichun, people eat radishes, chunbing, and lettuce; which together is called spring plate.” 

From the Song dynasty (960 - 1279) onwards, chunbing grew more and more popular, with even the emperor sending out spring plates to his officials at lichun. Commonfolk would stuff their pancakes with radishes—a cheap and plentiful vegetable at the time. In the past, hawkers would wander the narrow alleyways of Beijing from the early morning on lichun, carrying loads of radishes on their shoulders and shouting, “萝卜赛梨! (luóbo sài lí! My radishes can rival pears!).” 

In keeping with their healthy, low-fuss character, chunbing are easy to make: simply mix flour, hot water, and oil; then roll out the dough, and cook in a wok or pan over a low heat. The pancakes are pliable and chewy, providing a toothsome contrast to the crunch of fresh vegetables. Like other pancakes, chunbing can also be julienned and stir-fried to make chaobing (炒饼, fried pancake).

All images from VCG

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