When "Foreign Friends" Meet "Shi Bing Tong" – Totally Captivated by the Flavor!

Stop Three: We Take Our International Friends

to Taste the Local Specialty "Shi Bing Tong"

and Experience an Authentic "Chinese New Year"

"It tastes good!" When Abu, a foreign friend from Nigeria, tried Shi Bing Tong for the first time, he couldn't help but exclaim in delight.

Abu comes from Nigeria and has lived in China for six years. Two years ago, he moved to Taizhou with his two children for work and study, gradually adapting to and immersing himself in local life. This Spring Festival, Abu and his family were invited by friends to write Spring Festival couplets, prepare New Year's goods, and make Shi Bing Tong together, experiencing an authentic "Chinese New Year flavor."

At noon that day, Abu brought his sons Yaya and Affan to a friend's studio in Huangyan. In a courtyard brimming with antique charm, the host, Wang Minzhi, had already prepared tables, chairs, and calligraphy materials. "Hold the brush like this, dip it in ink, and write words of blessing on the red paper. In China, every family pastes Spring Festival couplets during the New Year—it's a ritual to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new," Wang explained as he taught them how to write couplets, also sharing the meanings behind them.

After learning the significance of the couplets, Yaya and Affan became immediately intrigued. After practicing stroke by stroke several times, they were finally able to write the character "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) on their own. "I want to take it home and put it up! Let our home have that New Year feeling too!" Affan exclaimed happily, holding up his "Fu" character.

After finishing the couplets, everyone began preparing Shi Bing Tong. Shi Bing Tong is a traditional local snack in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and Shipu, Ningbo. It consists of a thin, pliable pancake wrapped around fragrant stir-fried rice noodles, bean sprouts, braised pork, egg strips, green peas, and other ingredients, rolled into a cylindrical shape and ready to eat.

"These ingredients all smell so delicious—they must taste great on their own. I wonder how they'll taste mixed together," Abu said. Although he had lived in Taizhou for over two years, the somewhat homebody Abu had never tried Shi Bing Tong before. This time, he earnestly learned how to prepare the fillings. After wrapping his own Shi Bing Tong, he couldn't wait to take a big bite. The savory, fragrant burst of flavors made him exclaim, "This tastes amazing! So many layers of flavor! China really has an incredible variety of delicious foods!"

While they were enjoying Shi Bing Tong, Wang Minzhi shared the origin of the dish with the children, who were more proficient in Chinese. "Legend has it that Shi Bing Tong was invented during General Qi Jiguang's resistance against Japanese pirates. At that time, the locals prepared many dishes to reward the troops. To make them easier to transport, a fisherman's daughter came up with the idea of making thin pancakes and wrapping the delicious dishes inside to give to the soldiers. That's how Shi Bing Tong came to be."

This intriguing little story helped the foreign friends gain a deeper understanding of Taizhou's folk culture. The lively New Year atmosphere also deeply moved Abu. "Taizhou is safe, and the food is fantastic. Having lived here for the past few years, I feel it's a friendly and rapidly developing city. I really enjoy my life in China and hope to connect with more people and make new friends."

Translator：Jiayang Lin