Pancake master makes flowers bloom

But Xu was persistent.

"I worked on it for four days and made a little prototype, which wasn't good looking," Xu said.

To master the shape of pancake petals, Xu went to parks to study real flowers. She tried hundreds of times to discover the perfect moment to fold a pancake into a flower petal.

"We need to fold the pancake at a particular time when it is not too dry or wet," she said.

After more than three months of work, day and night, the shapes of the pancake flower petals became more consistent.

But the petals couldn't be stuck together with water, and if Xu used regular glue, the flowers would not be edible. She tried several materials and at last found her answer -honey and glutinous rice.

A splash of colorful pancake flowers in baskets greet customers in her store - yellow cherry blossoms, red roses, peonies in yellow,white, pink and purple. They're all amazingly realistic.

"One basket of pancake flowers can sell for 88 yuan ($13), which is 10 times more than the ordinary pancakes we used to sell," Xu said.

Pancake flower products have been keeping Xu busy, especially on special occasions, such as Mother's Day, International Women's Day and Teachers' Day, as many people look for a unique gift.

During festivals and holidays, Xu and some fellow villagers work long hours to meet demand. The pancake business she runs now provides jobs for more than 30 women.

"It's good for those who need to take care of the elderly and children," she said. "They can stay at home and come to work when they have time."