[Video/Nantong Daily]

Xiting crisp biscuits in Tongzhou district, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, are a traditional snack with a history of more than 100 years. They are a staple of Spring Festival for Nantong natives.

Workers roll dough to make Xiting crisp biscuits. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The first store to make such biscuits in Nantong was the Fuxing Store in Xiting town during the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Xiting crisp biscuits are baked in a stove. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Native Zhang Jian (1853-1926), who scored the highest in the annual national-level recruitment exams for officials in the Qing Dynasty, was impressed by the snack when he visited his parents in his hometown and brought some to Beijing to present as a gift to prominent officials, diplomatic envoys to China, and merchants, making Xiting crisp biscuits famous.

Workers package freshly-made Xiting crisp biscuits. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

To this day, makers of Xiting crisp biscuits still use high-quality ingredients and preserve its unique formula and traditional handmaking techniques.

To maintain the biscuit's crisp taste and unique flavor, the dough must be rolled in a very specific way, the thickness of the biscuits must be extremely precise, and the temperature of the stove must be closely controlled, which requires years of experience.

In 2009, Xiting crisp biscuit preparation techniques were listed as an intangible cultural heritage item in Jiangsu and Xiting crisp biscuit was recognized as a time-honored brand of the province.