Fried dough stick seller in Ningbo gains fame for using trusted cooking oil

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Category: Ningbo News

Published: Wednesday, 13 June 2012 09:04

A man who runs a fast breakfast store in Ningbo has become popular for using first-grade soybean oil to produce fried dough sticks and replacing the oil every two days.

37-year-old Xu Yongbo, dubbed as Ningbo's 'Brother Youtiao', came into the spotlight after the story of Liu Hong'an, a fried dough stick seller in North China's Hebei province who refused to use recycled oil, was publicized.

His store has gained a reputation as the best place to eat fried dough sticks in the city of Ningbo. It's common for waiting customers to line up before his store at the intersection of Zhongshan East Road and Jicao Road in Jiangdong District.

His customers described the fried dough sticks produced by Xu as especially crunchy. Many of them detoured or came from far away to eat at Xu's store in the morning before they go to work.

"The soybean oil bought by Xu is unusual compared to other fast breakfast shop owners," said Wang Chaoyong, the manager of a cooking oil supplying company

Many of Xu's customers volunteered to serve at his store as he is admired for proving quality food in a country where food safety is frequently challenged by illegal 'gutter' oil and toxic additives.