Alternative names Horse hooves Place of origin Taiwan | Type Doughnut Main ingredients Dough | |
 | ||
Similar Brown Bobby, Fazuelos, Doughnut, Fritelli, Kreple | ||
Shuangbaotai (simplified Chinese: 双胞胎; traditional Chinese: 雙胞胎; pinyin: shuāngbāotāi) or horse hooves is a sweet Taiwanese fried dough food with chewy dough containing large air pockets on the inside and a crisp crust on the outside. It is made by twisting two small pieces of dough together and frying them, causing them to separate slightly while remaining connected.
Contents
Names
The Mandarin Chinese name of this food, shuāngbāotāi (Chinese: 雙胞胎) meaning "twins", is derived from the fact that the dish is two pastries twisted slightly together as if conjoined twins. The Taiwanese Hokkien name is 馬花糋 (bé-hoe-chìⁿ), which roughly means "horse-hoof cake", also in reference to its shape. Another Hokkien name is 雙生仔 (siang-siⁿ-á) meaning twins.
Regional
In Taiwan, shuangbaotai are a type of snack (xiaochi) typically sold by hawkers at street stalls or in night markets, but not in regular restaurants or bakeries.
Comparisons
It is similar in taste and texture to a New Orleans-style beignet from the United States.