Freshly-baked Cao Xie Di or sesame seed pancakes. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Cao Xie Di (meaning straw sandal sole), or sesame seed pancake, is unique to Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

The food gets its name from its resemblance to the straw sandal sole. Among the various traditional between-meal nibbles, Cao Xie Di has been popular among natives partly due to its relatively low price.

Steps in making Cao Xie Di. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

In 2020, Cao Xie Di making techniques were listed as an intangible cultural heritage item in Nantong.

Flour, oil, scallion, and sesame are the main ingredients and the making procedure involves fermenting dough, shaping the dough, making fillings, and baking.

To make authentic Cao Xie Di, old yeast is preferred and high-quality scallion, lard, and sesame are required for mouthwatering crisp crusts.

Ji Jianhua checks the freshly-baked Cao Xie Di. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

The freshly-made Cao Xie Di looks very inviting and tastes delicious with a crunchy feel in the mouth.

Ji Jinhua, aged 69, is the inheritor of Cao Xie Di making techniques and also the third-generation inheritor of Yongtairen, a pastry brand in Nantong founded in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Thanks to Ji and his apprentices, Nantong's Cao Xie Di has been introduced to increasingly more foreigners as well as overseas Nantong natives.