A crisp, flaky pan-fried flatbread laced with scallion throughout every layer — Taiwan's beloved cong you bing, eaten as a snack any time of day.
Cong you bing, or scallion pancake, is a defining Taiwanese street food: a dough that's rolled thin, brushed with oil and packed with chopped scallion, then rolled up and coiled before being rolled flat again, a lamination technique that creates dozens of thin layers separated by oil and scallion. Pan-fried in a generous amount of oil until both sides turn deeply golden and shatteringly crisp on the outside while staying soft and chewy within, it's sold from carts and small shops across Taiwan as a quick, satisfying snack. The technique that separates a properly made cong you bing from a flat, bread-like imitation is the coiling and re-rolling step — dough rolled out, spread with oil and scallion, rolled into a log, then coiled like a cinnamon bun and flattened again, which builds the many distinct layers that puff and separate as the pancake fries. Getting the dough hydration right matters too: too dry and it won't laminate properly, too wet and it tears during shaping. Often served plain, dipped in soy sauce or vinegar, or stuffed with a fried egg for a heartier version, it remains one of Taiwan's most universally loved snack foods, equally at home as a quick breakfast, afternoon bite, or late-night treat.
Serves 4
Slowly mix hot water into flour and salt, stirring with chopsticks first since it's too hot to knead by hand initially. Once cool enough, knead into a smooth dough, about 8 minutes. Rest covered for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into a large thin rectangle. Brush with 3 tbsp oil, scatter scallions and salt evenly over the surface.
Roll the dough up tightly into a long log, then coil it like a cinnamon bun. Flatten and roll out into a disc about 1cm thick.
This coiling step is what creates the many distinct layers — don't skip it or press the dough down flat without coiling first.
Let the shaped pancake rest 10 minutes before frying so it doesn't spring back.
Heat remaining oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the pancake 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, pressing gently with a spatula.
Cut into wedges and serve hot with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
Use hot (not boiling) water for the dough — it partially cooks the flour's gluten, giving the pancake its distinct chewy-crisp texture rather than a tough, bread-like one.
Coil the rolled dough tightly, like a cinnamon roll, before flattening — this is the step that actually creates the many thin layers.
Fry in enough oil to properly crisp both sides; too little oil results in a pale, softer pancake.
Crack an egg onto the pancake while frying the second side for a heartier egg-scallion version.
Add finely chopped Chinese sausage to the layering step for extra richness.
Make smaller, individual-sized pancakes instead of one large one for easier handling.
Best eaten fresh and hot. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat in a dry pan over medium heat to re-crisp; microwaving makes them chewy and soft instead of crisp.
Cong you bing has roots in northern Chinese flatbread traditions and became one of the most iconic and widely available street foods across Taiwan after waves of mainland Chinese immigration in the mid-20th century. It remains one of the most universally recognized Taiwanese snack foods, sold from small carts and shops throughout the island at nearly any time of day.
This usually means the water used for the dough wasn't hot enough, or the coiling step was skipped — hot water partially cooks the gluten for the right chew, and coiling the dough before flattening is what creates the many separate layers.
Yes — the dough can be made and refrigerated for up to a day; let it come back to room temperature before rolling and shaping so it's pliable enough to work with.
The dough tightens up during rolling and shaping, and a short rest lets the gluten relax so the pancake fries into an even round shape rather than shrinking or springing back unevenly.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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