The people of China's Shaanxi province are famous for their enthusiasm for all kinds of food made with flour.

For thousands of years, they have been able to work miracles with dough.

Cao Fangxia, 53, of Heyang county in Shaanxi province, is no ordinary farmer. She is an expert in the edible handicraft of mianhua.

Mianhua - literally flour flower - refers to flower-shaped steamed buns, which owe their origins to sacrificial ceremonies.

Creating them has become an art, with the pieces and they are used as gifts or dishes for feasts.

With their elaborate shapes and rich colors, mianhua are particularly popular at wedding ceremonies.

"They were a precious food in the past but, as time goes by, people don't eat them anymore. They are more of an auspicious decoration," Cao says.

Photos and text by Huo Yan

(China Daily European Weekly 10/28/2016 page4)