Have you tried Crab-Shell Yellow, the same traditional treat featured on The Singing Courtyard? — A bite of heritage you won’t forget!

When it comes to traditional delicacies from Tiantai, many locals would immediately think of the ”big three” — shibingtong (rice rolls), maibing (wheat cakes), and hulatai (sticky rice dumplings). Yet in a recent episode of The Singing Courtyard, an innovative music program produced by CCTV and filmed in Tiantai, another local treasure took the spotlight — the  Crab-Shell Yellow (Xièkéhuáng).

Also known as fire-baked buns, these pastries owe their name to their irresistibly golden crust and plump, crab-shell-like shape. Unlike other regional versions that use preserved vegetables, Tiantai’s Xièkéhuáng features a savory filling of finely chopped spring onions and fatty pork — simple ingredients that come together to create a taste as warm and satisfying as the color of its crust.

Recently, a reporter reached out to Yao Yi, the third-generation inheritor of Crab-Shell Yellow, who took part in the filming of the programme.

”Nowadays, it’s mostly the older generation who still know how to make it,” said Yao Yi. During the interview, the reporter noticed a prominent burn scar on the back of his right hand. Smiling, Yao said, ”It happens all the time. Fortunately, my skin recovers quickly, so these small burns don’t bother me much.”

Recalling the day of the recording, Yao Yi still remembers every detail vividly. ”We started preparing around eleven that morning,” he said. ”We even brought out the old stove — earthenware jars on the inside, an insulating layer in the middle, and wooden boards on the outside. Only by sticking the buns to the stove wall and letting gravity do its work — making the top flat and the bottom thick — can we recreate that true crab-shell shape.”

Mixing the pastry, rolling out the dough, sprinkling sesame seeds… Meticulous Yao Yi approaches every step of making Crab-Shell Yellow with utmost care. The texture depends on the flaky pastry, while temperature control is key to getting the buns to stick perfectly to the stove walls.

That day, he spent more than an hour stabilizing the temperature at around 300°C, ensuring each 100-gram dough ball cooked evenly — crisp on the outside, soft inside, and never burnt or falling apart.

”Delicious! Can I have another?” ”May I take some back for the crew to try?” ”They look small but smell incredible!”

The stream of praise from the guests filled Yao Yi with quiet pride as he tended the glowing stove beside him.

Alongside Yao Yi, another artisan showcased the living heritage of Tiantai — Lu Wangjun, the youngest inheritor of the Tiantai Mountain Cloud Mist Tea craft.

Born in 1991 and raised in Shiliang Town, the main production area for Cloud Mist Tea, Lu grew up surrounded by the fragrance of roasting tea leaves in every household. Following in his elders’ footsteps, he moved from being a tea seller to a tea maker — and now, a proud inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage.

”I feel truly happy and honored to contribute, even in a small way, to the growth of my hometown’s tea culture,” he shared. When first invited to The Singing Courtyard, Lu saw it as a chance to let more people experience the delicate craft of Tiantai’s Cloud Mist Tea — and to welcome visitors to taste its charm.

”On filming day, we brought over a dozen tea-making tools and several kilos of freshly picked leaves from the day before. We began frying at around 3 p.m., and when we reached the rolling stage, the celebrity guests joined in — laughing, learning, and surrounded by the soothing aroma of tea.”

As a post-90s inheritor, Lu has his own vision for keeping the heritage alive.

”When young people join the effort to preserve intangible cultural heritage,” he said, ”they bring fresh perspectives and creative ideas — innovating within tradition while staying true to its roots. Going forward, I’ll continue to learn from the older generation of artisans and further advance the concept of "Intangible Heritage Plus’ — integrating traditional crafts into modern contexts, so that more people can get to know, appreciate, and fall in love with Cloud Mist Tea, carrying this heritage forward.”

Reported by Wang Lina

Translator：Ivan