Huangqiao sesame cake
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2013) |
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Type | Bread |
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Place of origin | China |
Region or state | Jiangsu |
Main ingredients | Flour, salt, yeast, caramel, pork suet, onion, sesame, alkali, lard |
Huangqiao sesame cake (simplified Chinese: 黄桥烧饼; traditional Chinese: 黃橋燒餅; pinyin: Huángqiáo Shāobǐng) is a sesame seed cake[1] that originated from Huangqiao town in Taixing, Jiangsu.[2] It has been speculated to be one of the oldest cakes in the Taizhou region of China.[3]
Description
Shapes of the cake include round, elongated, square,[3] oval, bevel-shaped and triangular.[3] In shops, Huangqiao sesame cakes for sale are generally circular and oval, and sweet and salty. Basic ingredients include flour, salt, yeast, caramel, pork suet, onion, sesame, alkali and lard.[4] The liberal use of sesame seeds provides crunchiness and crispness, and gives the cake a golden color. Some cakes include fillings such as leaf lard, sugar, pork flakes, longhidou,[further explanation needed] sweet osmanthus, crab spawn,[further explanation needed] jujube paste and shrimp meat, and are considered a premium product.[3]
History
Sesame cakes have a long history. The earliest record of this kind of sesame cakes is from a book of the Northern Wei dynasty, known as Qi Min Yao Shu, the first book on agriculture in Chinese history, written by the early agronomist Jia Sixie (贾思勰). The book has a chapter specifically on "cake method". Also, Travels of Lao Can (Chinese: 老残游记; pinyin: Lǎo Cán Yóujì), written by Liu E of the Qing dynasty also has a description of it.
The origin of the Huangqiao sesame cake is unknown, but there are some stories popular in folklore. It is said that, in the Qing dynasty, a county magistrate of Rugao County passed by the county of Huangqiao and chanced upon its sesame cakes. After returning home, he could never forget the taste of it and had a strong desire for a second taste. However, these two counties were 30 kilometres (19 mi) apart, and it was impractical to go to Huangqiao especially for the cakes there. He decided to send his corvee regularly to purchase a large quantity of these cakes.
In addition, many personages from the vicinity of Huangqiao had written in praise for the snack. Zhang Lihui (章力挥), the main writer of the revolutionary opera Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, was so taken with Huangqiao sesame cakes since childhood that he ate it in the morning, at noon, and at night. He said that it is far tastier than fish soup and any other food he had eaten.
The Huangqiao sesame cake got its major claim to fame from the Battle of Rugao–Huangqiao of 1946, from the Chinese Civil War. It was said that the communists owed its victory in that battle to the locals who provided the sesame cakes to the soldiers. This episode has been written into song as the "Ode to Huangqiao Sesame Cake" (黄桥烧饼歌) which was sung throughout the country.[5]
While initially a simple snack meant for rations, great changes[6] had taken place to it in sixty years so that it is now considered a national snack. Originally it was made of nothing but flour with little oil and sesame that people could not enjoy except special days. In contrast, nowadays Huangqiao sesame cakes take form in new shapes like rectangles and ovals, while the fillings have been enhanced with floss, ham, shrimp, shallot, diced chicken, sausage, etc. The cakes are also smaller, reflecting its transformation from a soldier's ration to the bite-sized snack today.
Awards
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2011) |
- In 2003, won the title of "Chinese Snacks" (2003年荣获“中华民族小吃”的称号)
- In 2004, awarded the "food fair gold medal of Jiangsu" (2004年获“江苏食品博览会金奖”)
- In 2005, it was named the brand of Taizhou, Jiangsu (2005年被评为泰州市名牌产品)
- In 2007, it was through GB/T19001-2000idtISO9001: 2000 standard certification. (2007年通过GB/T19001-2000idtISO9001:2000标准要求认证)
References
- ^ "Yat-sen Cake. en.jiangyin.gov.cn. Accessed September 2011.
- ^ Chen, Zishan (2005). Food and Chinese culture: essays on popular cuisine. Long River Press. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-1-59265-049-1.
- ^ a b c d "Huangqiao Sesame Seed Cake (黄桥烧饼)." English.taizhou.gov.cn. Accessed September 2011.
- ^ "黄桥烧饼 - 美食天下 > 美食厨房 私房菜、家常菜的做法". Meishichina.com. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
- ^ "那些年那些人那些事—黄桥烧饼歌,南通老区". Laoqu.zgnt.net. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
- ^ http://www.chinatechan.net/showproduct-981-p-9.html
External links
- Yat-sen Cake (en.jiangyin.gov.cn, Jiangyin City Government)
- Research on the Technics of Huangqiao Sesame Cake (Tsinghua Tongfang Knowledge Network Technology Co., Ltd.)
- 黄桥烧饼继续传播着黄桥战役的辉煌 (Xinhua News Agency)
- Huangqiao Sesame Seed Cake (黄桥烧饼)