Ping Pong is a famous folk traditional food in the Chaoshan region, and its production techniques have a long history. Ping Pong originated in Rongcheng District, Jieyang City, and later radiated to Shantou, Chaozhou, Shanwei and Southeast Asian countries and regions such as Xianghong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The origins of ping-pong can be traced back to at least the end of the Southern Song Dynasty. Due to the Song and Yuan wars, the people fled into the barren mountains with their children, lived on wild vegetables, and stumbled upon a fragrant and edible sage shell grass. Later, people collected this wild vegetable, mixed glutinous rice into flour, made into dim sum, because of its dark brown color, it was called "black kun", also known as "rat shell kun". Sage shell grass is also known as Qingming vegetable, Tian Ai, sage ear grass, etc., Qianlong's "Jieyang County Chronicle" records that "rats, leaves like purslane, many live in the field, native rice flour as a bamboo medicine". Sage grass has medicinal value, "Etymology" contains: "Sage shell grass, grass name, also known as rat ear, heartless grass, sweet potato, the northern people called 'mushroom mother', can be used in medicine." In ancient times, folk took sage sap and powder on March 3 as agave material, and food could avoid the time. ”
In the Qing Dynasty, Li Qiyu, a chef at the south gate of Rongcheng City in Jieyang, changed to "betel bran" as a filling, added sesame seeds, orange cakes and other condiments, and used the bottom of the humus film to make rat shell koen, so it was renamed "betel nut". In 1947, Jieyang snack Master Xie Qia went to Shantou to make a living and made "betel nuts" to sell in Wuqiaotou. In 1956, Jieyang County set up a catering service company, a foreign customer purchased betel nuts, mistakenly called "ping pong kon", and later changed the mistake to "ping pong kon", which is still used today. Jieyang folk are known for steaming ping-pong during major festivals such as the Spring Festival for sacrifice and gifts to relatives and friends. Ping-pong is made of wild vegetables and sage shell grass as the main raw material, accompanied by glutinous rice flour, betel bran, shallot oil, sugar, orange cake, sesame seeds, tangerine peel and other materials, through the process of grits, stuffing, humus film, handicraft, steaming, preservation and packaging. Jieyang ping pong koeh has sweet and salty tastes, ping pong koong is clear and soft, the kon stuffing is fragrant and crisp, the shape is beautiful, the color is bright, and the local flavor is unique.
At present, the production technique of table tennis has been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong Province.