Lore has it that the pancake was first created by the wife of Cai Fuyi, a talented scholar in the Ming Dynasty in Tong'an. Cai Fuyi was an official in Beijing, and because of his talent, he was repeatedly framed by some treacherous officials in the court. They heard that Cai Fuyi not only write a good hand, but also can write with both hands at the same time, they set up a trap, in front of the emperor to promote Cai Fuyi to organize the copying of the court over the years of paperwork, and Cai Fuyi to be completed within forty-nine days of the nine boxes of paperwork, or else, when to disobey the imperial decree on punishment.
In order to complete the holy orders, Cai Fuyi sleeps and eats, writing day and night, rarely have a break to eat time. Mrs. Cai looked on and was anxious. One day, she came up with a wonderful method: the flour stirred into a paste, in the hot pan gently wiped, made a thin sheet of dough, a variety of vegetables cut into fine, seasoning fried into vegetable braised, and then accompanied by sweet and savory oil rice, and then use the thin skin of the meal wrapped and rolled into a cylinder, every day at mealtime, will be held in both hands to the "pancake" sent to her husband's mouth, so that he can eat. He would hold the "pancake" in both hands and bring it to her husband's mouth so that he could eat. This did not affect his writing and did not delay his meals. Under the care and assistance of Mrs. Cai, Cai Fuyi finally completed his mission to the court as scheduled. From then on, the story of Mrs. Cai's making "pancakes" became a popular story in Tong'an. Because the "pancake" was created by Mrs. Cai, the folk have "beauty pancake" or "lady pancake". In order to honor Mrs. Cai, the people around Tong'an have the custom of eating pancakes every March Festival.
In the past, "once a year the sea rises" pancakes improved people's lives and added to their enjoyment. On March 3, in the countryside, the whole village is full of joy, no less than the Buddha's birthday and New Year's Eve, the cracking of firecrackers, the yelling of the sale of dough, the children's laughter, so that the lonely countryside all of a sudden lively up.
Today, Tong'an eat pancakes, has not been limited to the annual March Festival. The first twenty-six, on New Year's Day, the streets and alleys are visible outside the size of the branded skin stalls, buy the skin of a steady stream of people, happy and smiling. Pancakes are no longer a luxury for the people to improve their lives, but a useful supplement to the popular food culture.