Shapes of the cake include round, elongated, square,[3] oval, bevel-shaped and triangular.[3][better source needed] In shops, sesame mooncake 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, sweet osmanthus, crab spawn, jujube paste and shrimp meat, and are considered a premium product. 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). This book has a chapter on “Pie Method” in particular.
There is also an explanation in “Old Remains” (Chinese: Old Remains; Pinyin: Lǎo Cán Yóujì) written by Liu Zhao of the Qing dynasty.
The origin of yellow sesame is unknown, but there are some popular stories in folklore. It is said that in the Qing dynasty, a local judge in Rugao Prefecture passed Huangbashi Ward and came across the sesame confectionery by chance. After his return, he could never forget the taste and was eager 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 Yellow Bridge Sesame Cake gained the greatest fame in the Rugao-Yellow Bridge battle in the 1946 Chinese Civil War. Communists are said to have won the battle against the locals who provided the soldiers with sesame cakes. This episode was written as “Huangqiao sesame” as “Huangqiao sesame” in songs sung all over the country. [Five]
Originally a simple distribution snack, it has changed significantly over the last 60 years [6] and is now considered a national snack. Originally, it was made from flour with less oil and sesame seeds, and could only be enjoyed on special occasions.
In contrast, yellow sesame cakes now take on new shapes such as rectangles and oval, with improved fillings such as dental floss, ham, shallot, shallot, diced chicken and sausages. The cakes are also smaller, reflecting its transformation from a soldier`s ration to the bite-sized snack today. Learn more…
