Cherry Biluo: The Viral Tang Dynasty Street Food Even Beginners Can Make
In the drama Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, there’s a snack that has everyone falling for it the second it shows up on screen: cherry biluo.
That sent me down a bit of a research rabbit hole. As it turns out, biluo was considered “hu food” in Tang dynasty China — food that came to China from Central and West Asia along the Silk Road. The old records mention it by name, but none explain how it was made, and its original appearance is still a matter of debate among archaeologists. Based on the cooking methods common at the time, my best guess is that it was either griddle-cooked or steamed.
So, based on my own interpretation and what I found in my research, I recreated several versions of biluo. What do you picture when you imagine this ancient snack?
Dough:
- Mix all-purpose flour with hot water and stir until it forms shaggy clumps, then knead until smooth and soft. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
- Use about 75g of dough for each one.
Filling:
- Rinse the lamb chunks, then blanch them in boiling water with bay leaves, star anise, and rice wine to get rid of any gamey smell. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Add a splash of water to the lamb and simmer briefly, then add the pitted red cherries. Cook until the lamb is tender, season with a pinch of salt, and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced.
- Once the filling has cooled, wrap it in the dough along with a few more pitted cherries, then roll it into a long log. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes.
