Shaoxing Fragrant Cake

Shaoxing Fragrant Cake

　　　　Product Name: Fragrant Cake

　　　　Place of Origin: Shaoxing

　　Product Features: Sweet, fragrant, and crispy

　　　　Product Description: The Fragrant Cake comes in many specifications and varieties, with flavors ranging from sweet to savory. The yellow ones include Qin Cake and Chao Hu Cake (which resembles an ancient ceremonial tablet), while the white ones include Chicken Bone Cake and Osmanthus Cake, which has a fragrant osmanthus aroma. Its main ingredients are premium polished rice and sugar, supplemented with spices made from traditional Chinese herbs such as cloves, angelica, and cardamom, giving it the combined qualities of sweetness, fragrance, and crispiness. It was once listed as one of the Eight Tribute Products of Shaoxing during the Qing Dynasty.

　　　　Story: Shaoxing Fragrant Cake has a history of over 200 years. Legend has it that the first batch of Fragrant Cakes was created by accident. At the time, near Changqiao Bridge in Shaoxing City, there was a rice cake shop called “Wang Jin Si Fang” that produced printed cakes (also known as Chao Cake). This shop was known for using ample fine sugar and paying close attention to craftsmanship, making their cakes so popular that they often sold out. One day, due to a sudden change in weather, the printed cakes made that day did not sell out. Fearing that leaving them overnight would spoil their taste and harm the shop’s reputation, the owner decided to bake them dry. Unexpectedly, the baked printed cakes turned out to be deliciously fragrant and crispy—far better than the original. When offered for sale the next day, they were snapped up by customers. Seeing the profit potential, the owner began producing these baked printed cakes regularly. Soon, other rice cake shops followed suit. Because the baked printed cakes were crisp, fragrant, and sweet, they eventually came to be known as Fragrant Cakes.