The Mystery of Chinese Pastry - 中式糕點的奧秘

The Mystery of Chinese Pastry ZHONG SHI GAO DIAN DE AO MI

中式糕點的奧秘 Seasonal, specific foods were used to feel the changes of the seasons and the festive atmosphere.

The aesthetics of eating at the right time.

Illustration & Text by Ting Ching Yan

The Mystery of Chinese Pastry The purpose is to show the world China's unique baking skills and pastry culture by introducing the craft and culture of Chinese pastry through illustrated books. I hope that through the promotion of this theme, more people can know Chinese cakes, appreciate their delicious and exquisite production techniques, and have a deep understanding of Chinese food culture.

Author: Ting Ching Yan Email: tingchingyan@gmail.com Instagram: _caren.ding_ Behance: Caren Ding

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The Mystery of Chinese Pastry ZHONG SHI GAO DIAN DE AO MI

中式糕點的奧秘

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XU

序 Preface

Many areas of Chinese culture have been actively promoted, but the food culture is relatively lacking in the promotion of the world. Therefore, using food culture as project 's focus is very valuable.

Chinese pastry is a part of Chinese food culture, it is not only a delicious dessert, but also the crystallization of traditional Chinese baking technology and the embodiment of thousands of years of culture.

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目錄表

CONTENT

内容 Content

頁數 Page 08-13

製餅過程

Production Process

木餅模具

Wooden Cake Mold

14-21

節日糕餅

Festival Pastry

22-29

四季糕餅

Seasonal Pastry

30-39

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8

CHENG

GUO

BING

ZHI

製 餅 過 程 Production Process

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BING

HAO

ZUO

XIN

YONG

用 心 做 好 餅 Make Pastries with Care

The long history of 5,000 years, rich folk culture, and culinary culture in China have resulted in a wide variety of pastry dishes. Detailed accounts of pastry-making

揉面

Kneading

包餡

Wrapping

入模

Molding

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processes can be found in ancient texts such as "Simin Yue Ling" and "Zhou Li · Tian Guan," showcasing various Chinese cooking methods and a diverse range of pastry styles.

擀皮

Rolling

蓋章

Stamping

出模

Demolding

ZHENG

蒸 Steam

MA LAI GO

馬拉糕

Cantonese Sponge Cake

Cantonese sponge cake is a kind of pastry in Cantonese tea house. Mala cake is golden in color and when eaten fresh is very fluffy, soft and has a slight fragrance. It is steamed through water and is often served in a steamer in restaurants.

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KAO

烤 Bake

LAO PO BING

老婆餅

Wife Cake

Wife cake is a traditional Cantonese dish made with flour, eggs, sugar gourd, sesame and so on. The baked wife cake is soft and sweet on the outside and melts in the mouth.

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ZHA

炸 Deep Fry

CUI MA HUA

脆麻花

Fried Dough Twist

Fried Dough Twist is a Chinese characteristic fried pasta snack, which mainly uses flour and eggs to twist into a strip and deep-fried.

Usually sweet food (or salty food), the noodles will have syrup (which can be replaced by honey) and sesame seeds, and the taste is crisp.

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14

JU

MO

BING

MU

木 餅 模 具

Wooden Cake Mold

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KE

DIAO

雕 刻 Sculpture The taste of pastries is not

the only important aspect; The appearance is also a significant art form.

Many people may have never realized that the creation of pastry molds also requires decades of effort to achieve perfection.

Pastry molds were tools used by ancient people to make pastries, and skilled craftsmen ingeniously applied the art of engraving to these small molds. The wood used for the molds needs to be air-dried for at least a year, followed by intricate processes such as planing and carving. It is a meticulous craft that takes at least a year to create a small-sized pastry mold.

The time and effort invested in this process are truly beyond imagination.

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ZHUANG

XING

形 狀 Shape 花形

圓形

Flower

Round

長方形

Rectangular

壽桃 Peach

元寶 Ingot

葫蘆 Gourd

Pastry molds determine the shapes of pastries, with the most common being round, symbolizing "reunion" and togetherness.

Flower shapes, such as chrysanthemums and sunflowers, represent "prosperity and flourishing." Rectangular shapes signify "rectitude." Ingot shapes symbolize "wealth and prosperity." Gourd shapes signify "good fortune." Peach shapes represent "longevity and health." The purpose of designing different shapes is not only to convey positive meanings but also to facilitate the distinction of various fillings.

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WEN

WU

DONG

動 物 紋 Animal Pattern The patterns and designs on pastries are incredibly diverse, reflecting not only the beauty of traditional craftsmanship but also representing a microcosm of Chinese folk festivals, beliefs, and culinary culture. They also carry the hidden desires and aspirations of people for a better life. As a result, the motifs often revolve around auspiciousness, celebration, and good fortune.

Bat pattern, In Chinese culture, the bat is considered a symbol of good luck and auspiciousness. The Chinese word for bat, "fu," sounds the same as the word for "blessing" or "good fortune." The bat pattern represents people's hopes and pursuit of happiness and blessings.

蝙蝠 Bat

金魚

Goldfish

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龍鳳

Dragon and Phoenix Dragon and phoenix pattern, The dragon and phoenix are often depicted together on both sides of the Chinese character "xi" (meaning "double happiness"). The dragon, historically associated with emperors in Chinese culture, is a noble mythical creature capable of controlling the wind and rain. The phoenix represents empresses or females, symbolizing auspiciousness and virtue.

Therefore, the dragon and phoenix pattern signifies the harmonious union of the dragon and phoenix, symbolizing auspiciousness and blessings.

Fish pattern, Fish pronounced as "yu" in Chinese, sounds similar to the word "surplus" or "extra." The image of a fish swimming gracefully with its fins and tail raised symbolizes "abundance" and "surplus" year after year.

WEN

WU

REN

人 物 紋 Figure Pattern

Pastry molds are a perfect combination of emotion and art. The patterns on pastry molds predominantly consist of auspicious objects, flowers, and birds, symbolizing good fortune. However, there are also some patterns based on characters and stories from traditional Chinese operas. These patterns not only evoke memories of the characters and stories but also reflect their symbolic meanings.

Patterns featuring figures are often used for blessings and moral teachings. Common examples include patterns depicting the Three Stars of Prosperity, Longevity, and Wealth, as well as the image of a successful scholar returning home in glory, symbolizing auspiciousness.

佛公

Buddha

壽星公

God of Longevity

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WEN

WU

ZHI

植 物 紋 Plant Pattern

Floral, fruit, and vegetable patterns are widely used in traditional Chinese pastries, symbolizing auspicious meanings such a s l o n g e v i t y, w e a l t h , a n d e v e rl a s t i n g youth. Common flower patterns include chrysanthemums, peonies, plum blossoms,

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and peach blossoms. Fruit patterns often feature pineapples, gourds, lychees, and pomegranates. Leaf patterns may include pine needles, vine scrolls, melon vines, curled grass, and bamboo.

WEN

ZI

WEN

文 字 紋 Word Pattern FU

福 LU

祿 SHOU

壽

XI

囍

Commonly seen in Chinese pastries are the characters "Fu" , which represents happiness and good fortune, "Lu" , symbolizing blessings and good luck, and "Shou", conveying wishes for longevity. The character "Xi", formed by combining two "Xi" characters, represents the auspiciousness of being paired or double happiness, often associated with the meaning o f a fo r t u n a t e m a r r i a ge b e t we e n t wo auspicious individuals.

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22

BING

GAO

RI

JIE

節 日 糕 餅 Festival Pastry

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JIE

CHUN

春 節

Spring Festival

The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, falls on the first day of the lunar calendar and is the most grand traditional festival in Chinese folklore. It is a significant occasion for family reunion and joyful celebrations. Various activities are held during this period to express jubilation.

These activities primarily revolve around ancestral worship, respecting the elderly, expressing gratitude, praying for blessings, gathering with family, bidding farewell to the old year, embracing the new, and seeking a prosperous harvest. They are imbued with rich ethnic traditions. The dining table during the Spring Festival is adorned with a variety of seasonal delicacies, symbolizing blessings for the new year.

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NIAN GAO LUO BO GAO

蘿卜糕

年糕

Rice Cake

Turnip Cake

Turnip Cake is a traditional cake in Fujian, Guangdong and other regions. The pastry snacks are made by adding pickled radish shreds into rice flour pulp and steaming on the steamer.

YOU JIAO

油角

Yau Gok

Yau gok stuffing’s is sweet, Shredded coconut, fried peanuts, sesame, red beans and so on.

During the Spring Festival, every household will open a wok of oil and fry some frying oil, which means the coming year will be as oily and rich as that wok.

Rice cakes is made of rice flour or glutinous rice flour cake, Niangao is also called "Nian Nian Gao", homophonic with "Nian Nian Gao", meaning that the height of children is higher year by year.

JIAN DUI

煎堆

Sesame balls

Sesame balls is a type of traditional Chinese fried pasta. Sesame balls are made of glutinous rice dough and sesame. Some of them are filled with sesame paste or bean paste. It means " House full of gold and silver."

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JIE

QIU

ZHONG

中 秋 節

Mid-Autumn Festival Mid-Autumn

The Mid-fall Festival grew from ancient rites practiced on the eve of the fall season, beginning with the adoration of heavenly bodies. Moon worship, moon gazing, eating mooncakes, and admiring lanterns have all been traditional ways to commemorate the event since ancient times. These customs have been passed down through centuries and are still thriving.

Mooncakes were originally presented as offerings to the Moon god, which represent reunion, have become a traditional celebratory meal used for moon worship and as a gift to loved ones. Mooncake have grown to include distinct tastes from various places.

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MEI GUI YUE BING

玫瑰月餅

Rose Mooncake

This mooncake is a traditional delicacy from Yunnan during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

It features layers of flaky pastry and a delicious filling made of honey and a unique combination of edible rose petals. With a thin crust and generous filling, it exudes a fragrant aroma.

SHUANG HUANG LIAN RONG YUE BING

雙黃蓮蓉月餅

YUN TUI YUE BING

雲腿月餅

Ham Mooncake

This mooncake is made with Yunnan's specialty ham, combined with a filling of honey, lard, and other ingredients. Its surface features a golden-colored shell. The aromatic ham fragrance, sweet and savory honey glaze, offers a comfortable and delightful taste experience.

WU REN YUE BING

五仁月餅

Lotus Paste Double Yolk Mooncake

Five Nuts Mooncake

This mooncake is a Mid-Autumn Festival food in Guangdong province. The outer layer of the pastry and the sweet filling of the lotus paste, two golden egg yolks dotted between the white lotus paste, the salty egg yolk rustling taste and the lotus paste smooth complement.

The five nuts are olives, walnuts, black melon seeds, white sesame seeds and almonds, and are mixed with sugar winter melon and frozen meat. The entrance can feel the sweet and soft filling, and slowly chew up will find the rich taste of the kernel, and the overall taste is crisp and soft.

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LI

HUN

SHI

ZHONG

中 式 婚 禮 Chinese Marriage

Traditional Chinese wedding cakes of Cantonese style are also known as “dowry cakes”. Traditional wedding customs always use several kinds of Tang cakes to get the meaning, and each Tang cake has its own unique stuffing and meaning, which is an indispensable part of traditional Chinese wedding ceremony.

Four-color twill pastries, which is necessary in the wedding cake. “Twills” are meant to represent “expensive cloths”, and therefore, “twill pastries” symbolize prosperity.

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LAN REN HE TAO SU

LIAN RONG JI DAN GAO

欖仁合桃酥

蓮蓉雞蛋糕

Sponge Cake with Lotus Seed Paste

Walnut cookie

"Walnut," it represents the meaning of "harmony" and "unity." This pastry signifies the harmony between husband and wife.

CHENG LING

HONG LING

Orange Twill Pastry

Red Twill Pastry

橙綾

Eggs have the meaning of flourishing wealth and spreading branches and leaves, so they have the meaning of being sweet and harmonious and having a precious child every year.

紅綾

Yellow pastry is usually filled with bean paste. Yellow is also the color of gold, which is a symbol of wealth, so there is a special meaning of gold and silver all over the house.

Red pastry is usually filled with lotus paste or red bean paste. In China tradition, red symbolizes a good omen, which means happiness, good luck, auspiciousness and happiness.

HUANG LING

黄綾

Yellow Twill Pastry

BAI LING

白綾

White Twill Pastry

Orange pastry is usually filled with egg yolk and white lotus seed paste, which means golden light, wealth and good luck.

White pastry is usually filled with five kernels; It has the meaning of being white and flawless and growing old together.

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30

BING

GAO

JI

SI

四 季 糕 餅 Seasonal Pastry

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CHUN

春 Spring

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LU DA GUN

驢打滾

Rolling Donkey

Rolling donkey is a traditional Manchu snack in China. It originated in Manchuria and later became famous in Beijing. The yellow soybean flour sprinkled over the pastry makes it look like a donkey rolling on the loess, which gave rise to its Chinese name, "Lüdagun" (rolling donkey).

SONG HUA TUAN ZI

松花團子

Mochi with Pine Pollen

This pastry is a seasonal delicacy in Sucheng.

Every year on the eve of the Qingming Festival, pine blossom pollen is collected from the mountains and utilized as a topping for glutinous rice balls. Glutinous rice wraps around the aromatic and sweet sesame, and the cooling scent of pine blossoms spreads in the tongue.

QING TUAN

青團

Green Rice Ball

Green Rice Ball is a traditional specialty snack in the Jiangnan region. It is almost always steamed during the Qingming Festival.

It is made by mixing mugwort juice into glutinous rice flour and then filled with various fillings such as bean paste, salted egg yolk, or sesame. It carries a light yet lingering fragrance.

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XIA

夏 Summer

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LU DOU GAO

綠豆糕

Mung Bean Cake

The primary component is green bean flour. It has a sweet and refreshing flavor and is recognized for its ability to relieve summer heat, satisfy thirst, promote diuresis, reduce swelling, improve eyesight, and cure cataracts. It has a fragrant and gentle taste.

HE HUA SU

荷花酥

Lotus Pastry

L o t u s P a s t r y i s a f a m o u s s n a c k f ro m Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China. It is made from flaky pastry dough and shaped like a lotus flower, with clear layers of crispy pastry. It is often served as a decorative centerpiece during banquets, providing a delightful visual and gustatory experience.

WAN DOU HUANG

豌豆黃

Sweet Pea Pudding

This is a seasonal delicacy in Beijing during the springtime. It became famous because Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed it. Made from high-quality white peas, the popular "caowan douhuang" is a typical springtime snack often seen at spring temple fairs.

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QIU

秋 Autumn

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GUANG HAN GAO

廣 寒糕

Osmanthus Rice Cake

his is a osmanthus cake made with licorice water. Its name originates from the popular nickname for the moon, "Guanghan Palace".

The licorice-infused water provides a natural sweetness and a subtle aroma of osmanthus flowers and herbs. It emanates a delicate fragrance of rice flour, osmanthus, and red bean paste.

JU HUA SU

菊花酥

Chrysanthemum Pastry

This is a traditional pastry from Xi'an. It is named after the chrysanthemum flower because chrysanthemums symbolize auspiciousness, longevity, and extraordinary beauty. The pastry is shaped like blooming chrysanthemum flowers, representing prosperity and good fortune.

ZHONG YANG GAO

重陽糕

Chongyang Cake

This pastry is commonly found in Zhejiang regions. It is made from rice flour and adorned with jujube, chestnut, almond, and other fruit fillings. It is steamed to perfection. On the Double Ninth Festival, there is a custom of eating "Chongyang cake".

Eating cake symbolizes continuous progress and advancement.

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DONG

冬 Winter

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ZAO NI SHAN YAO GAO

棗泥山藥糕

Yam and Red Date Cake

This is a seasonal delicacy in Beijing during the springtime. It became famous because Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed it. Made from high-quality white peas, the popular "caowan douhuang" is a typical springtime snack often seen at spring temple fairs.

SHAN ZHA GAO

山楂糕

Hawthorn Cake

This is a dessert that appears in the Chinese novels, "A Dream of Red Mansions." The ingredients used in its preparation include jujube, which nourishes blood, Chinese yam, can strengthens the spleen and stomach and nourishes the lungs and kidneys, and goji berries can nourish Yin and promote eye health. These ingredients are mashed together to form a cake.

XIAO HAN GAO

消寒糕

Xiaohan Cake

This is a type of rice cake, and the tradition of eating "Xiaohan cake" has a long history in Beijing. After consuming it, the whole body feels warm, and it has the effects of dispelling cold, nourishing the lungs, and benefiting the spleen and stomach. It symbolizes the coming of a prosperous year, bringing good wishes for prosperity, peace every year, and continuous success.

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JI

HOU

後 記 Afterword

Chinese civilization has a long and storied history, with 5,000 years of history giving birth to a rich and colorful folk culture and culinary traditions.

Ancient texts like "The Twenty-Four Seasonal Directions" and "The Rites of Zhou - Heavenly Offices" contain detailed records of the manufacturing processes for pastries, showcasing the longevity of this culinary culture.

wisdom crystallization of the Chinese nation, imbued with the profound nostalgia of history and culture. They not only satisfy our physical cravings, but also embody a cultural identity and way of life.

C h i n e s e p a s t r i e s a re n o t m e re l y delicious food, but an integral part of the long-standing Chinese culture. They are imbued with the Chinese people's With diverse cooking methods and an yearning and pursuit of the good life. abundance of pastry varieties, they stand witness to the Chinese people's This pursuit is manifested through the yearning and pursuit of the good life. meticulous craftsmanship and unique The aesthetic of eating in harmony designs. Whether it's the elegant and with the seasons allows one to feel the refined mooncakes or the auspicious changes in climate and the atmosphere Chinese New Year cakes, each pastry of festivals. As the ancients said, "the is infused with the craftsmanship and ancients ate according to the heavens, creativity of the artisans. The making not eating out of season," emphasizing of pastries requires excellent baking the wisdom of living in harmony with skills and the careful selection and nature and cherishing the seasonal. proportioning of ingredients, reflecting C h i n e s e p a s t r i e s e n c a p s u l a t e t h e the Chinese attention to detail and pursuit of excellence.

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The shapes of the pastries often carry a u s p i c i o u s m e a n i ng s , e m b o d y i ng the Chinese people's wishes for a prosperous future. When gifting these pastries during important festivals and occasions, it is not just the offering of delicacies, but also the conveyance of heartfelt wishes and the strengthening of emotional connections.

Therefore, appreciating Chinese pastries is not just a pleasure for the taste buds, but also a recognition and identification with Chinese culture. Let us savor this enduring culinary tradition and feel the profound connotations it carries.

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"The Mystery of Chinese Pastries" delves deep into the longstanding tradition of Chinese pastry culture. This work is divided into four parts, providing a comprehensive presentation of the production techniques, traditional utensil usage, festival customs, and seasonal changes of Chinese pastries.

It is not only a fascinating journey through history and culture but also a window to observe the spirit of Chinese cuisine. The book showcases the enduring traditions, festive memories, and seasonal flavors carried by Chinese pastries, guiding readers to appreciate the unique charm of Chinese culinary culture and vividly portraying the longing for and pursuit of a better life by the Chinese people.

Author: Ting Ching Yan Email: tingchingyan@gmail.com Instagram: _caren.ding_ Behance: Caren Ding