Naxi baba is the simplest and most ubiquitous food in Lijiang: a round wheat flatbread, griddled until the outside is crisp and the inside chewy. It comes in two main versions, one sweet with brown sugar or rose paste, one savoury with salt, scallions, or minced pork. It is breakfast, road food, and a snack, and it costs very little.
In short
Buy it hot from a street stall, eat it within an hour, and try both sweet and savoury. The best versions are griddled to order, not stacked in a warmer.
What it is
The dough is wheat flour, water, and a little oil, rested and then stretched or pressed into a round. It is cooked on a flat griddle, sometimes with a lid, until it puffs and browns. The result is denser than a scallion pancake and softer than a baguette, with a chew that makes it filling.
Sweet versions use brown sugar, sometimes rose paste, and are folded so the sugar caramelises inside. Savoury versions add salt, scallions, or a little minced pork. Some stalls also make a thin, crisp version. Every family has its own style; there is no single canonical recipe.
Where to find it
Street stalls all over Dayan, Shuhe, and Baisha sell baba, usually for ¥5 to ¥15. The busiest stalls are not always the best; look for one where the dough is being pressed in front of you rather than reheated. Morning is the best time, when the griddle is fresh and the bread is going out to breakfast customers.
In the old town, prices rise near Sifang Square. Walk a few lanes north or into the new town for better value. Markets such as Xiangshan have stalls that serve workers, and these are usually excellent. For the market itself, see the morning market guide.
How to eat it
Eat it hot, walking, with soy milk or tea. Savoury baba can be split and filled with egg, chili, or pickles. Sweet baba is best plain. It also travels well: buy one before a mountain day and keep it in a bag for a mid-morning snack.
It is not a delicate food, and it is not meant to be. The pleasure is the contrast of crisp outside and soft inside, and the fact that it has fuelled this valley for a very long time. For other breakfast options, see Lijiang rice noodles.
Verdict
Cheap, filling, and genuinely local: buy one hot and eat it before it cools.
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