Mahua (snack)

According to legend, mahua originated two thousand years ago for a three-day festival during which people were not allowed to use fire. Without fire, people could not cook. So they prepared food that did not spoil easily beforehand. The original form of mahua was fried dough with honey, it was invented as a snack for the festival because it could be kept fresh for a long time. Another legend of the origin of mahua states that it was created to curse wild scorpions. As a revenge for bothering them, people twisted wheat dough into the shape of a scorpion's tail, which they then fried. This food eventually became known as mahua. == Variations ==

Guifaxiang mahua The most famous variety of mahua is "Guifaxiang 18th Street Fried Dough Twists", which originated on a shop on the 18th Street in Tianjin. In Tianjin, people typically consume mahua with a sweet or salty flavor. The most common ingredients in Guifaxiang mahua are flour, sesame, walnut, peanuts and sweet-scented osmanthus. The store later built a Museum of Mahua, where visitors can learn about the history of mahua and tour the factory line. Chen-mahua Chen-mahua is a type of mahua famous in Chongqing. It originated in Ciqikou and was later popularized in the Qing Dynasty. Chen-mahua is normally made in ten flavors: original taste, black sesame, pepper salt, black rice, corn, rock sugar glutinous rice, spicy, seaweed, chocolate, and honey. The spicy flavor mahua is the signature mahua of Chongqing. Mafá mahua Mahua is extremely popular in Panama, where it has been adopted as a national dish and is referred to as mafá. It was brought over by Chinese immigrants during the nineteenth century. ==See also==