Sandapao on Jinli Street

锦里古街 三大炮

Rice cakes thrown with a bang-bang-bang, in brown sugar and soy flour

Hours

Street open 24 hours; stall hours vary

Budget

¥10–20 pp

Address

Jinli Ancient Street, 231-1 Wuhouci Dajie, Wuhou

Sandapao are balls of glutinous rice dough hurled at a copper tray to roll them in soybean flour. They hit the tray and a gong with three cannon-like bangs, hence the name. A pour of brown-sugar syrup finishes them, served on a stick or in a cup. On Jinli, stalls under red lanterns sell them alongside tangyou guozi, sugar-glazed fried rice balls. The taste is close to mochi rolled in soybean flour; the noise and the show are half the point.