Freshly baked shaobing. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

As the sun sets, the people of Hai'an in Nantong, Jiangsu province, find their stomachs seeking comfort.

For older residents of Hai'an, afternoon tea isn't a refined ritual but a way for laborers to recharge.

With a faded apron tied around his waist, the master baker presses, rolls, and pats the dough before deftly sticking it to the oven wall. The freshly baked shaobing, or sesame seed baked rolls, are too hot to handle, yet you can't resist taking a bite.

The sizzling sound of frying xiaci, or glutinous rice balls, is a call for children to gather as the perfect combination of salt and scallions is enticing enough. Oil pancakes are the grassroots of snacks. With just flour, lard, and scallions, the master can create a surprisingly delightful texture.

If you have time to savor it slowly, the six-sided Jingangqi, the Chinese version of a pretzel, is the best choice. Freshly baked, it's hard and firm. The elderly love to break it into small pieces and soak it in tea. The rich flavor of the alkaline dough, combined with the aroma of tea, lingers on the palate all afternoon.

Back then, each snack had its own character. They didn't strive for sophistication but were exceptionally genuine – a bite of shaobing, a fried glutinous rice ball, an oil pancake – sustaining the ordinary evenings of locals.

Desserts served in a local shop. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Hai'an's afternoon tea is never short of new twists, with young people always redefining it in new ways.

The corner coffee shop always understands this relaxation best. Inside the glass windows, the barista's hand pours a graceful arc with the pour-over kettle. In the display case, Basque cheesecake wears a caramel-colored coat, while mousse cake glows with creamy softness.

Not far away, the dessert shop is also a place for relaxation. In the open kitchen, the chef creates a gentle miracle by combining hot milk with ginger juice. The peach gum and white fungus soup is crystal clear, the red bean double-skin milk is as smooth as cream, and the osmanthus rice wine warms the stomach.

Winter streets offer their own charm. Smart ovens rotate evenly, causing the caramel-colored skin of sweet potatoes to crack slightly, revealing the golden, glossy sweet potato flesh inside, while freshly cooked sugar-roasted chestnuts are round and shiny.