What Are Scallion Pancakes And What Are They Made Of?

When thinking of what to eat for breakfast, plates of pancakes, sausage links, and bowls of cereal may appear in your head. While this may be the average American breakfast, the meal varies across regions. 

In China, breakfast traditionally consists of congee, noodles, and crêpes. Although a street food, scallion pancakes, also known as cong you bing, are sometimes eaten for breakfast. Scallion pancakes are flaky, crispy pancakes made with four simple ingredients: flour, water, oil, and scallions or green onions. A dim sum staple, the pancakes can act as a canvas for incorporating your favorite ingredients. But at its core, scallion pancakes are savory and light pancakes that can be eaten any time of the day.

Making scallion pancakes from scratch requires a little time and patience. Make the dough by combining flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Then add hot water to the mixture and stir. Next, knead the dough until it becomes smooth. Roll it into a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes. After, divide the dough into four pieces, roll each flat, and brush oil on top. Then, add scallions to the dough, roll it up again, and flatten it. Finally, cook the pancake on a skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Scallion pancakes may be as old as Chinese civilization, but their origins are a little murky. The savory, delicate pancakes are believed to have originated somewhere in northeast China. Another legend says the pancake may have inspired pizza, which is now an Italian favorite.

Regardless of when and where scallion pancakes emerged, the item is now a Chinese staple. The pancake comes in various flavors and sizes, depending on the regional palate. In northern China, you typically find thin and chewy scallion pancakes, while southern regions usually sell thick and crispy versions.

Just because it's called scallion pancakes, its name shouldn't stop you from adding other ingredients to the food. Make it your own by adding other vegetables like shredded carrots, bell peppers or meats like chicken or pork. Though delicious on its own, dip the pancakes in soy sauce or hoisin sauce for extra flavor.

Closely resembling cong you bing is pajeon, a Korean scallion pancake. Pajeon looks identical to Chinese scallion pancakes at first glance, but minor differences make each dish stand out on its own.

While Chinese scallion pancakes are made primarily of flour, Korean scallion pancakes consist of flour, water, and eggs. To make Korean scallion pancakes, you want to prepare them just like you would with Chinese scallion pancakes. This is also a popular dish and is widely available in Korean restaurants. But, unlike most Chinese scallion pancakes, you can expect to find other vegetables and meat stuffed inside the Korean counterpart.

One popular variety of pajeon is one stuffed with kimchi or seafood such as oysters, shrimp, and clams. Like Chinese scallion pancakes, you can add your favorite proteins and vegetables to the pancake batter before frying them. Try adding sweet potato, green beans, and leeks.