The dish is said to have been invented during the
Tang dynasty by a laborer who cooked flatbread in his iron helmet over a wood fire. There are many different versions including Shaanxi, Jingzhou (Hubei),
Henan,
Sichuan, and
Gansu.
Jingzhou style Hailing from
Jingzhou,
Hubei, in this style the dough of flour, water, yeast and sugar is stuffed with either a savoury filling like chicken, beef, and pickled vegetables, or a sweet filling like
red bean paste. It is then flattened and cooked until crispy inside a cylindrical charcoal oven. Since the preparation resembles making Indian
naan in a
tandoor oven, the dish is sometimes called "Chinese
naan". ==Gallery==