Mianwo (literally "face nest") is a quintessential Wuhan street breakfast food. These ring-shaped fried dough snacks are crispy on the outside and soft inside, made from a rice and soy milk batter with sesame seeds.
Mianwo is one of the "Three Treasures of Wuhan Breakfast" along with Reganmian and doupi. Invented over 100 years ago, it gets its name from its distinctive ring shape — like a bird nest — and the "mian" refers to the rice flour. Every Wuhan street corner has a mianwo stall, and the sizzle of batter hitting hot oil is the sound of a Wuhan morning. The special iron ladle is essential — it creates the characteristic shape with a thin crispy ring and a thicker, softer center. Locals eat mianwo by itself or use it to scoop up other dishes.