Zibo's Meat-Wrapped Flatbread: Just a Glimpse into Shandong's Vast BBQ Universe

Zibo, Shandong, is the hottest food city of 2023, bar none.

While other places were still eating spring bamboo shoots and foraging wild vegetables, college students from all over Shandong had already boarded high-speed trains, flocking to Zibo for barbecue. Every street and alley with a barbecue joint was bustling with activity—some shops were fully packed within five minutes of opening, while others claimed to sell 10,000 skewers a day, a scene that was truly astonishing.

Nowadays, getting a bite of barbecue in Zibo

requires at least an hour of waiting.

Photo/Xiaohongshu @KIKI是琪琪哟

But Shandong's barbecue craze is no coincidence—it's been a long time in the making. Shandong has always been an overlooked barbecue powerhouse. Zibo's semi-self-service mini-stove barbecue, with its folded pancakes and roll-up skewers, has attracted college students from across the province. In Jinan, the unique "walking skewers" culture stands out, where meat is the sole focus in iron basins, with garlic being the only vegetable.

And the deliciousness of Jiaodong Peninsula's seafood goes without saying. Here, you'll achieve grilled scallop freedom—whether it's whole scallops with garlic or just the adductor muscle. Shandong locals will show you what truly fresh scallops taste like.

A hands-on culinary movement.

Photo/Xiaohongshu @Valentina

Shandong, nestled between mountains and sea, boasts abundant produce—goat meat, seafood, steamed buns, pancakes, scallions, garlic, and other bold, uniquely Shandong elements—all coming together to form a distinctive Shandong barbecue universe.

Zibo, where all Shandong college students go,

is home to the hottest barbecue in Shandong, even nationwide, bar none. But what exactly makes Zibo barbecue so captivating? How did it break out of Shandong and even surpass Northeastern and Xinjiang styles?

Zibo itself is a culinary haven in Shandong, so its barbecue is naturally delicious. As a key birthplace of Lu cuisine, Boshan dishes embody the salty, fresh, crispy, and tender traits of Shandong cuisine. Influenced by this culinary culture, Zibo barbecue is equally refined, focusing on savory flavors—grilled pork belly, garlic-clove meat, grilled olives, green pepper and fatty intestines—offering a rich variety.

The inspiration for garlic-clove skewers might come from roasted garlic. In the old days, if a child had an upset stomach, adults would toss a few garlic cloves into the stove fire. The roasted garlic turned soft and sticky, its spiciness mellowing into a slightly charred aroma. This garlic not only soothed young stomachs but also planted a unique memory of roasted garlic in young minds. The garlic in skewers, slightly spicy, pairs perfectly with meat, cutting through the richness and enhancing the flavor. One bite of roasted garlic, and those childhood memories are instantly rekindled—it tastes just like the old days!

Garlic, a key element of Shandong barbecue.

Photo/Xiaohongshu @蜜罐罐圆姑娘

It might also be the lively and boisterous participation of Shandong locals. Zibo barbecue tables feature a special charcoal mini-stove with two layers—the bottom for heating and the top for keeping warm. The owner grills the skewers to about 60-70% doneness before serving, leaving the final cooking to the diners. This hands-on, immersive experience greatly enhances the sense of involvement and accomplishment.

GIF/Bilibili "The Story of Chuaner"

But the participation doesn’t stop there. Another quintessential Shandong element in Zibo barbecue is the pancake. A palm-sized pancake, grilled until bubbly, is folded twice, dipped in garlic sauce, dry seasoning, and chili, then stuffed with scallions and skewers—folded, slid off, and rolled up, encapsulating the essence of the feast.

One bite delivers the crispiness of pork belly, the garlicky punch of chili sauce, the nuttiness of peanuts, and the kick of cumin and pepper, all elevated by scallions—layered yet perfectly balanced. The pancake not only tempers the saltiness of the meat and seasonings but also adds carb-driven satisfaction beyond just meat. Zibo's pancake-wrapped skewers exemplify Shandong's pancake culture at its finest. Add some grilled olives for a mix of meat and veggies, and the flavors become even more intriguing.

Nowadays, Zibo barbecue is so popular that the local government not only held a press conference specifically for it but also customized dedicated barbecue bus routes, aiming to secure the top spot for Shandong barbecue. But is Zibo barbecue really the best in Shandong? Jinan, its neighbor, would be the first to disagree.

The undisputed king of Shandong barbecue

The rise of Jinan barbecue began in the late 20th century at the Hui Muslim Community's "Yi-Jiu" (Jingyi-Weijiu Road), initially dominated by open-air stalls. Shandong barbecue thrives on its carefree atmosphere—when the mood strikes, local men often strip to the waist, earning the nickname "Bareback Masters" in Jinan. With large mugs of draft beer and small skewers, stools gathered around square tables, and friends reuniting, the clinking of glasses and devouring of skewers showcase Shandong's bold and unrestrained spirit.

Photo by Xiaohongshu user @叫宋宋呀!

Traditional Jinan barbecue features small iron-skewered meats, charred externally by charcoal fire while the skewers conduct heat from within, ensuring even cooking—crispy outside, tender inside. As the skewers flip and toss the small skewers, their aroma fills the air, blending with the smoky haze that defines the city's nightlife.

Jinan barbecue mainly uses beef and lamb but also includes seafood and vegetables, embracing all ingredients. Beyond the usual meat skewers, there are offal, tendons, marrow, meat ligaments, kidney, lamb liver, beef tongue—nothing escapes the grill. Flavor is the soul of skewers, and Shandong's daring and innovative spirit shines here. Each stall has its secret spice blend, creating a unique "flavor QR code." Diners' open-mindedness ensures every taste finds its place, from garlic and honey to cumin, spicy, or salt-and-pepper—sweet or fiery, all are welcome.

Lamb must be freshly slaughtered and skewered, using tender shoulder or hind leg meat cut into chunks—three lean pieces sandwiching one fatty piece, known as "three parts lean, seven parts fat." Seasoned lightly with just salt and pepper, the lean meat's freshness merges with the salt, amplifying its natural flavor. Biting the skewered meat horizontally, the mix of lean and fatty bursts with richness—first the salt-pepper base, then the fatty juices flooding the mouth. This is the essence of barbecue.

GIF/Bilibili《至味山东》

Nationwide, barbecue shops let you order what you want, but Jinan stands out: grilled skewers are piled into large basins, carried by servers who circle the room, offering them table by table. Take what you like, skip what you don’t—no ordering or waiting, just convenience and freedom, forming the unique "roaming skewer" culture. Here, the chef decides, a blessing for the indecisive.

Of course, Jinan has other barbecue styles: pit-roasting in earthen kilns, where whole chickens, ducks, fish, or large cuts are roasted directly, delivering hearty, satisfying feasts. The most famous is Zhangqiu's Huang Family Roast Pork—a 200-pound pig roasted whole in a kiln for five to six hours, emerging fragrant, crispy-skinned, tender, and rich without greasiness.

Huang Family Roast Pork epitomizes Shandong's boldness.

How many more surprises are there?

Beyond the Zibo-Jinan rivalry, Shandong barbecue also shines in the Jiaodong Peninsula and western Shandong, each with its own charm.

How much creativity lies in Qingdao's barbecue stalls?

In Qingdao, there's a style called "Chuozi Meat." The "chuozi" is a square iron griddle, named for its resemblance to a seal. Combining deep-frying and teppanyaki, authentic Qingdao Chuozi Meat lets customers buy their own ingredients for the shop to cook—nothing’s off-limits.

Photo by @单身大叔的美食, via Tuchong Creative

Deep-fried pork belly, enhanced with garlic, gains a crispier aroma than Zibo's garlic-marinated meat. Clams, conches, and razor clams burst open in the chuozi, revealing juicy flesh. Add fries and veggies—after a round of frying, ingredients are grilled to crisp perfection, offering the best of both worlds. Hand your picks to the chef, wait briefly, and the dish arrives sizzling in the chuozi. Pair it with Qingdao's draft beer or the unique Baihua Snakegrass Water, and life’s pleasures feel complete.

Qingdao has a culture called "Wild Wonton"—originally late-night street stalls selling wontons, later evolving into "daipaidang" (open-air eateries) with beer, stir-fries, and barbecue. Today, they focus more on beer and skewers, with wontons as a side. Choosing Wild Wonton means embracing freedom—no table manners, just friends feasting on grilled eel and oysters until dawn.

Elsewhere on the Jiaodong Peninsula, Yantai and Weihai focus on freshness. Yantai’s seafood barbecue is bold and varied: whole grilled ribbonfish, red crabs, conches, abalone, or octopus legs—shelled and skewered for a mouthful of briny goodness. There’s even luxurious grilled sea intestine, crisp, sweet, and juicy.

Photo by Xiaohongshu user @KIKI是琪琪哟

Grilling live scallops is the biggest highlight here. The scallops must be alive, their tightly closed shells slowly opening under the heat to reveal tender, juicy meat. Some remove the skirt and skewer only the white adductor muscle, simply seasoned with salt and chili powder to highlight the natural freshness.

In the Jiaodong Peninsula, grilled oysters are all about freshness.

Photo / Hongcheng Laomao, Image / Tuchong Creative

Few people know that Shandong is China’s hidden lamb powerhouse, ranking third in lamb production nationwide, just behind Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Shandong’s sheep are mostly goats, yet they have low gaminess, less fat, more lean meat, and tender texture. They’re often used for lamb soups, such as the famous Shanxian, Linqu, and Zaozhuang lamb soups.

Lamb soup, another iconic Shandong delicacy.

It’s also exceptional as barbecue. For example, the unique Luxi small goats from Liaocheng and Heze are freshly cut into nearly half-meter-long rustic skewers, grilled unmarinated for bold, hearty feasting with meat and drinks. Luxi barbecue also carries a hint of Liangshan outlaw spirit, featuring grilled marrow, chicken feet, silkworm pupae, pigeon, and pork trotters—golden, glistening, and unapologetically robust.

Shandong barbecue, a smoky delight.

Whether it’s Jinan and Zibo barbecue in central Shandong, Jiaodong’s grilled seafood, or Luxi’s rustic skewers wrapped in thin pancakes, Shandong’s culinary ingenuity shines through the sizzling flames, painting a geographic atlas of Shandong barbecue.

In Shandong, no matter where you’re from or where you dine, the locals’ warmth is served wholeheartedly.

Text Editor | Liu Neng

Cover Image | Valentina

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