Fragrant chrysanthemum cake with teeth and cheeks
Text/Zhang Mingqi
Xiaolan's chrysanthemum cake, I believe many officials do not know its history. Xiaolan people love chrysanthemums, preferring to eat chrysanthemum cakes, as early as the Qing Tongzhi Jia Noon Year (1874) of the Chrysanthemum Society's fighting poetry competition, there was a "chrysanthemum cake" as the title, yu recorded a poem by Li Yong to entertain readers:
The nine-day steamed cake tastes more delicious and invites friends to celebrate the chrysanthemum day.
It is not easy to feast on a feast, and it has been sixty years before the feast.
When I was a child, I once tasted chrysanthemum cake made of glutinous rice flour, and it really made people's lips and teeth fragrant when they ate it. How exactly is it made? With a sense of curiosity, I secretly watched how Grandma made chrysanthemum cakes.
Although the frost-covered grandmother has no culture, but the years have bent over her, she can be regarded as a unique job in making pastries, and her neighbors like to come to her for advice. Only to see her sharply take out two kinds of rice noodles, comparing the amount of rice noodles, she turned her head to look at me so stupidly at her, as if she knew my curiosity, simply told me:
"The ratio of glutinous rice flour and japonica rice flour is maintained at 2:1, so that the cake tastes better, and those who do not like to be too sticky can be kept 1:1, but the amount of glutinous rice flour must be more than that of japonica rice flour."
Only to see her old man mix the rice noodles into a ball, and at the same time add chrysanthemum bran, "so as to maintain a good taste and aroma", and then stop and sit for a while, I heard that this will be more powerful. She then coated the cake bowl with a layer of oil, which is said to facilitate mold release. She told me while operating: when steaming, you should use high heat and boiling water to steam quickly, except for layers of powder in the middle, do not open the lid at other times.
After steaming for about 30 minutes, she did not see her open the lid after steaming, she said: Let it simmer for a while to ensure that the steaming is more cooked, and will not immediately retract and harden. Grandma was afraid that I still didn't understand, and she also preached the scriptures and said: "Because the powder I grind is dry grinding, so there will be some rice chips, which does not matter, does not affect the taste, but is more delicious." And the flour that you grind yourself is coarser than the powder from the water mill method you bought, so the steaming time takes longer. ”
Yes, although Grandma nagged, but from the process of steaming the cake, we can know that the experience comes from the accumulation of bits and pieces; perhaps she loves the production of chrysanthemum cake, is to keep the promise of flowers; the warmth floating in the chrysanthemum cake, many years later, there is still the eternity of the first encounter; she hides the attachment in every layer of the cake, practicing for love; she puts the simplicity, in the time of the cake, so that the bottom of her heart grows like a chrysanthemum.
But today, this method may have been lost, and the taste buds of modern people have changed, like smooth and refreshing, I have tried another cold cake method. Nevertheless, it can be regarded as the inheritance and innovation of chrysanthemum cuisine. With the aftertaste of chrysanthemum cake, I specially visited Chef Pan, a dim sum chef who has studied chrysanthemum cake. Chef Pan told me: "When I learned the place of chrysanthemum cuisine in the lives of the Xiaolan people, in order to adapt to the taste buds of modern people, I studied how to transplant and transform this pastry. It's quick and easy to do, first put the dried yellow chrysanthemums (cored), rock sugar, and water into a saucepan. Then put the steamer into the air pressure cooker, add the right amount of water, put the saucepan into the air pressure cooker (the saucepan is not covered), and simmer in the air pressure cooker for 30 minutes. Then remove the stewed rock sugar chrysanthemums and stir in the fish gelatin powder while hot until melted (make sure it melts completely). The final process is to pour into a cake bowl and refrigerate until solidified. (I used 3 degrees, all of a sudden solidified, ice is very delicious) The premise is that the fish gelatin powder must melt, otherwise the cold cake will not be able to solidify. ”
Chef Pan is really very researched about chrysanthemum cake, he also told me: "No matter what method is used to make chrysanthemum cake, not only the taste is sweet and delicious, but also has a good nutritional effect, mixing chrysanthemums in rice milk, steaming to make cakes, or using mung bean powder and chrysanthemums to make cakes, has a cooling effect." Chrysanthemum soup boils chrysanthemums and white fungus or lotus seeds into a soup, adds a little rock sugar to eat, can be annoying heat, sharpen the five organs, cure dizziness and other symptoms. Chrysanthemum ointment is boiled with fresh chrysanthemum flowers and water, filtered and concentrated, mixed with refined honey (honey food), made into a paste, with the effect of wind removal, heat removal, and blindness. ”
It also makes sense that chrysanthemum cake is one of the unique pastries in Kikujo and has a long history. Chrysanthemum cake is more than the general pastry chrysanthemum cold fragrance and calm, and the appearance is beautiful, this cake is sweet and soft and crispy, the entrance is melted, the teeth and cheeks are fragrant, there is a cool and fire-removing function, so it is particularly popular. The color is green, the food is sweet and refreshing, delicate and soft, with a strong chrysanthemum fragrance, a clear fragrance, unique in the pastry. According to experimental measurements, it contains a variety of vitamins, fructose, riboflavin, protein, tannin and other ingredients, which is not only a nutritious food, but also has the effect of purifying the mind, calming and nourishing the mind, reducing blood pressure and improving blood circulation.
Chewing on this frozen chrysanthemum cake, as if tasting a cloud with incense, carrying a light flow of Yuanna, whisking a gentle and delicate elegance; in the depths of the eastern fence, it swayed towards the future, and the chrysanthemum fragrance that remained on the cheeks of the teeth touched a pulse of remembrance. Grandma's voice and smile were still so familiar, calloused and warm palms, as if they were still stuck on my childhood head.
Time is mercilessly pushing us forward, if we do not do the inheritance, the only chrysanthemum fragrance, one day will go to the distance, never look back. The author has a poem to remember:
The cake also takes the old hedge to the east, and tastes the different similarities of the flower city.
The poet is instructed to chew and hang the spring breeze back and forth on the autumn path.
Various chrysanthemum cakes
Chrysanthemum varieties for chrysanthemum cake
【About the Author】 Zhang Mingqi, son of Fengshan Ju, is a native of Xiaolan, Zhongshan, Guangdong. Member of China Yuelian Society, Guangdong Yuelian Society, Zhongshan Writers Association, Zhongshan Chinese Poetry Association, Zhongshan Musicians Association, Zhongshan Network Writers Association, Zhongshan Poetry Society, Vice President of Jucheng Literature Society. Poetry, prose, and novel works have been published in many public accounts, newspapers and magazines, and like to send love with poetry and make friends with literature.
This article was reviewed by Dong Li
Image of this article: Network
Editor-in-Chief: Zhang Yuhua (Qi Su)
Produced by China-Zhongshan Wenyuan Public Account (Qi Su Nibble Book Club).