Walk through the streets of Xi’an, the ancient capital of China, and you’ll likely spot crowds gathered around stalls selling a humble golden-brown pastry. This is the thousand-layer oil pastry (千层油酥饼) – a flaky, fragrant flatbread that locals and tourists alike queue up for. But what makes this simple snack so special? It’s not just the taste – it’s the 1,300-year-old story behind it, a tale that connects an imperial court, a legendary monk, and a translation project that would change Chinese history.
The Legend: A Monk, an Emperor, and a Pastry
The story begins in the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), when the great Buddhist monk Xuanzang (also known as Tripitaka Master) returned to Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) from his epic 17-year pilgrimage to India, where he had brought back hundreds of Buddhist scriptures. Upon his return, Xuanzang devoted himself to translating these sacred texts into Chinese, working day and night at the Daci’en Temple (Great Kindness and Grace Temple) – the very temple where the famous Giant Wild Goose Pagoda still stands today.
Xuanzang was so consumed by his work that he often forgot to eat. He would skip meals, let his food go cold, and lose weight as his health declined. Yet he pressed on, driven by a vow to make Buddhist teachings accessible to all.
One day, Emperor Gaozong of Tang – a devout Buddhist himself – visited Daci’en Temple and happened upon Xuanzang in a quiet chamber, translating scriptures with such intensity that he didn’t even notice the emperor’s arrival. When the emperor learned that the monk had been ignoring his meals, with trays of food reheated again and again left untouched, he was deeply moved.
The emperor asked his palace chefs to create a special food that Xuanzang could eat hot or cold, without needing to stop his work. After much effort, the chefs developed a “thousand-layer baked flatbread” – a golden pastry with flaky layers, crisp yet not crumbly, rich yet not greasy, delicious whether served warm or at room temperature.
On the day Xuanzang completed his thousandth translated scroll, the emperor sent him a box of this new pastry as a gift of recognition and encouragement. Xuanzang found it so nourishing and convenient that his appetite returned, his health improved, and his translation work accelerated.
The story of this “thousand-layer baked flatbread” soon spread from the imperial kitchen to the streets of Chang’an. Bakers, inspired by the monk’s dedication and the emperor’s gesture, began making their own versions, and the pastry became a beloved local staple. Over time, it was refined and renamed the “thousand-layer oil pastry” – and it has been enjoyed ever since.
The Emperor or the Empress? A Note on the Tale
You may encounter slight variations of this story. Some versions credit Emperor Taizong rather than Gaozong, while others mention Empress Wu Zetian – China’s only female emperor – as a patron of Daci’en Temple. What remains consistent across all tellings is the core: a revered monk, an imperial patron, and a pastry born of respect and necessity.
A Pastry That Lives Up to Its Name
The thousand-layer oil pastry is exactly what its name promises. Made from fine wheat flour and vegetable oil – historically, the imperial chefs used qingyou (pure vegetable oil) to respect Xuanzang’s vegetarian diet – the pastry is crafted through four essential steps: making the flaky dough, kneading the main dough, shaping the pastry, and pan-frying.
The flaky dough, or su, is made by mixing oil and flour in a 1:3 ratio. The main dough is stretched into a long, thin strip – up to 12 feet (about 3.6 metres) – then rolled up with the flaky dough and seasoned with salt and Sichuan peppercorn powder. The pastry is then coiled into a spiral, pressed flat, and pan-fried until golden brown.
The result is a pastry that is golden in colour, with paper-thin layers that peel apart like the pages of a book. It’s crisp without being brittle, rich without being greasy, and fragrant with the aroma of toasted wheat and oil. Locals describe it as “cui er bu sui, you er bu ni” – crisp yet not crumbly, oily yet not greasy.
A Taste of History, A Bite of Xi’an
Today, the thousand-layer oil pastry is a proud symbol of Shaanxi cuisine. It has been honoured with the title “Number One Snack of Western China” (Xiqin Di Yi Dian). In 1989, the version made by Xi’an Restaurant (西安饭庄, Xi’an Fanzhuang) – one of the city’s most celebrated culinary institutions – won the prestigious Gold Tripod Award from China’s Ministry of Commerce. It has also been recognised as a “China Famous Snack”.
Where to Find It
For an authentic taste, head to Xi’an Restaurant (西安饭庄), a century-old establishment that has been serving this pastry as one of its signature “seven great snacks” for decades. Other than that, Dahua Restaurant (大华饭店, Dahua Fandian), founded in 1910, which has long been known for its thousand-layer oil pastry alongside its Jiangsu-Zhejiang-style dishes.
Local street stalls throughout Xi’an, particularly in the bustling Muslim Quarter and around the Bell Tower area, where you can watch bakers stretch and coil the dough by hand.
Today, the pastry has also inspired regional variations, including a version in Lingbao, Henan Province, where it’s known as zhiyou bing (lard pastry).
More Than Just a Snack
Every bite of this golden, flaky pastry carries the weight of 1,300 years of history – the devotion of a monk who gave his health to translate sacred texts, the care of an emperor who sought to nourish him, and the ingenuity of chefs who turned simple flour and oil into a culinary treasure. It’s a snack that tastes not just of wheat and oil, but of perseverance, respect, and the enduring spirit of one of China’s greatest cities.
So next time you find yourself in Xi’an, join the queue, order a freshly made thousand-layer oil pastry, and take a bite. You’ll be tasting a piece of Tang dynasty history – and understanding why this humble flatbread has been winning hearts for over a millennium.
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