Lamb’s Hoof Pastry

Lamb’s Hoof Pastry

　　Lamb’s Hoof Pastry

　　Lamb’s Hoof Pastry, Horse Hoof Crisp, and Moss Cake are all traditional pastries from Linhai with a history of over a hundred years. The Lamb’s Hoof Pastry is made from sweet fermented flour shaped like a hoof—round on the sides, flat on the bottom, and divided into four lobes on top—with sesame seeds sprinkled on the surface. It is then dried and baked until crisp. Sweet, fragrant, and crunchy, it is also very affordable. In the early years after Liberation, each pastry cost just one fen. For ten fen, you could buy ten pieces, getting a whole bagful that could satisfy your cravings or serve as a small gift when visiting relatives or patients. Nowadays, it has disappeared from the market, probably because its low profit margin doesn't meet today's economic priorities.

　　Horse Hoof Crisp doesn’t really resemble a horse’s hoof in shape, so it’s puzzling why it’s called that. It’s a round pastry about the size of a mooncake, featuring a ring of raised diagonal ridges on the surface. Made with flaky pastry dough, it is crisp, fragrant, and sweet. Even when it gets a bit damp, it still has a unique melt-in-your-mouth quality. Making Horse Hoof Crisp requires a special oven for baking and adherence to traditional techniques. In Lincheng, the most famous place to get it is Zhang’s Horse Hoof Crisp Shop at the intersection of Ziyang Street and Deqing Lane. These days, it’s also quite rare on the market.

　　Moss Cake is also made with sweet flour and flaky pastry dough, with powdered seaweed wrapped inside and then flattened and baked. The surface is dotted with tiny holes, probably for aesthetic effect. Soft, fragrant, and sweet, it melts in your mouth and is another traditional pastry from Linhai.