The Chinese deep-fried dough stick often eaten with congee is youtiao.
Youtiao is a long, golden-brown strip of lightly salted wheat-flour dough that is stretched and deep-fried. It is usually made as two connected dough pieces, which separate easily after cooking. The result is crisp on the outside, airy inside, and commonly eaten as a breakfast food.
In China, youtiao is often served with rice congee, soy milk, or sweetened milk. Diners may dip pieces into the congee or soup, where the fried dough softens and absorbs the surrounding flavors. It also appears in dishes such as jianbingguozi, a savory breakfast crepe containing youtiao, and shaobing youtiao, a sesame pastry sandwich.
The food has many regional names across East and Southeast Asia, including yau char kway, cakwe, pathongko, and dầu cháo quẩy. A popular folk story connects its paired shape to hostility toward the Song dynasty official Qin Hui, though that tale is cultural folklore rather than a confirmed origin account.