If you ever find yourself dining in Liaocheng—once the wine has flowed freely and the meal is well underway—a plate of glistening, golden little spheres might be brought to your table. Resembling glass beads, they might look like mere decorative ornaments, but make no mistake: these are a legitimate, officially recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Shandong Province—the "Hollow Glass Meatballs" (Kongxin Liuli Wanzi).
I call them "bewitching" because these meatballs defy all common sense: they contain no baking powder, nor are they stuffed with any filling; yet, somehow, they are completely hollow on the inside!
Moreover, this "hollowness" isn't created by scooping out the interior; rather, the core is something the meatball "spits out" all by itself.
I. How Does a Meatball "Spit Out" Its Core?
To put it pragmatically, the preparation of these meatballs is essentially a wrestling match against the forces of oil and fire.
The general process unfolds as follows:
1. Scalding the Dough to Form the Meatballs
First, the flour is scalded with boiling water and kneaded into small balls, which are then dropped into a pot of oil.
2. Slow Frying over Low Heat to Set the Shape
The oil temperature must be kept low—a gentle, unhurried fry—allowing the meatballs to float comfortably in the oil and take their initial shape.
3. The Critical Moment Arrives—"Spitting Out the Core"
This step is the ultimate test of the chef's skill. As the oil temperature suddenly rises, the steam trapped inside the meatballs rushes outward with explosive force. Before the outer skin has a chance to split open into large cracks, the inner "core" is forcibly ejected by the steam, flinging itself out of the meatball. Consequently, the interior of the meatball is transformed into a hollow, spherical shell.
4. Glazing with Syrup to Create the "Glass" Finish
Finally, the meatballs undergo one last pass through high-temperature oil to ensure they are golden and crispy, before being coated in a layer of syrup that has been cooked to absolute perfection.
Once cooled, the syrup hardens into a glistening, glass-like shell. Take a bite—*crunch!*—and a wave of sweet fragrance rushes straight to the crown of your head; yet, remarkably, it is never cloyingly sweet.
II. Who Passed Down This Craft?
This culinary technique did not simply appear out of thin air one day; it is a legacy passed down through the Gao family lineage from Yiancheng, Liaocheng.
Back in the early days—during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty—an elderly gentleman named Gao Shiyu began experimenting with this novel concept: "frying meatballs so they aren't solid." Since then, the craft has been passed down from generation to generation, and today, it is being carried forward by the fourth generation of the family. The current custodian of this tradition is Gao Wenping. Not only has he preserved this craft, but he has also elevated it to much grander stages. These meatballs have not only earned a spot in the *Compendium of Famous Chinese Dishes* but were also featured at a cold buffet hosted in the Blue Room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—leaving many foreign diplomats exclaiming, "Delicious!" while simultaneously wondering, "How on earth are these meatballs hollow?"
III. Why is it considered "difficult"?
Don't let my casual tone fool you; actually making this dish presents a considerable challenge:
• If the oil temperature is too low, the meatballs won't "hollow out" properly, resulting in solid, dense lumps;
• If the oil temperature is too high, the meatballs will instantly burst apart, crumbling into a pile of shards;
• If the sugar syrup is cooked for too long, it turns bitter; if not cooked long enough, it lacks that signature glossy sheen. Mastering this step relies entirely on the chef's intuition and feel.
Consequently, in Liaocheng today, there are very few veteran chefs left who can truly execute this dish to perfection—producing meatballs that are consistently hollow on the inside with a translucent, glass-like sugar shell on the outside.
IV. If you get the chance, you simply must try it!
If you ever find yourself in Liaocheng, be sure to order a plate of these "Hollow Glazed Meatballs." Don't just focus on snapping photos for your social media feed; take a bite while they're still hot. Listen for that satisfying crunch, and savor the delightful contrast between the "glass-like outer shell" and the "airy void within." Once you do, you’ll understand exactly why this dish has managed to hold its ground—amidst a vast array of Shandong cuisine—and firmly secure its status as a piece of "Intangible Cultural Heritage." If you *have* tried it, come back and tell me about your experience: Were you more dazzled by its sweetness, or completely baffled by the "mystery of its hollowness"?
