Kouzi Pastries

Kouzi Pastries

　　Pastries are a type of food primarily made from ingredients such as wheat flour or rice flour, sugar, fats, eggs, and dairy products, combined with various fillings, seasonings, and additives. They are initially shaped and then processed through methods such as steaming, baking, frying, or stir-frying. In the Huaibei region, pastries are commonly referred to as "guozi." Kouzi Pastries are diverse in variety, high in quality, and widely distributed. They are one of the local specialties of Suixi. Loved by locals, they also make excellent gifts for family and friends.

　　● Santaozi

　　Santaozi is a common sweet treat, also known as "Honey Three Cuts." Each piece has three knife marks on top, hence the name. It is a food coated in sugar and oil, with pieces often sticking together in a web of syrup, making it very sweet. The Santaozi is neatly square-shaped, densely covered with white sesame seeds on the surface, glossy with honey, modest yet hearty. The outer crispy crust is bright red; once bitten into, it reveals a soft, fragrant, and pleasantly sweet interior.

　　● Yangjiao Mi

　　Yangjiao Mi is white in color and named for its resemblance to a goat’s horn and its honey filling. This product is meticulously made from premium flour, honey, white sugar, maltose, and vegetable oil. The finished product has three layers: a honey syrup core, a horn-shaped shell, and a layer of powdered crumbs. When eating, you break the horn shell, releasing the sweet honey syrup into your mouth, offering a unique and delightful flavor. The round and plump body of the Yangjiao Mi features an extremely thin and crispy crust, with thick, sweet syrup that can pull into several brown sugar threads when bitten.

　　● Mayizui

　　Mayizui, named for its short, thin, and small shape resembling a grasshopper’s leg (locally called "little guozi"), is made using an extremely simple method. First, water and flour are mixed, then rolled into a thin dough sheet, cut into strips, and further sliced into fine threads before being deep-fried in boiling oil. Syrup is prepared in the pan, and the fried pieces are added and stirred until evenly coated. Depending on personal taste, the frying duration can be adjusted; those who prefer a crispier texture can fry until the color turns darker.

　　● Mapiàn

　　Mapiàn is as thin as paper, crystal clear, fragrantly crisp, and delicious without sticking to the teeth, leaving a lingering aftertaste. It does not clump even in the height of summer and retains its flavor over time. Made from ingredients such as white sesame seeds, cane sugar, and cooked flour (often sweet potato starch), Mapiàn is crafted using traditional techniques including sesame seed skin removal, syrup boiling, coating, pressing, and slicing. Rich in protein, fat, calcium, multiple vitamins, and amino acids, the finished Mapiàn is shiny in color, delightfully crisp and sweet in taste, and offers excellent texture. It is believed to have health benefits such as soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, moistening dryness and promoting body fluids, relieving fatigue, lifting the spirit, nourishing hair and improving vision, supplementing nutrition, and promoting metabolism.

　　● Cunjin

　　Cunjin is one of China’s oldest types of sugary confections. Cane sugar is heated and processed through filling, pressing, and cutting into small golden-yellow sticks about 1 inch (3.3 cm) long — hence the vivid name “Cunjin” (literally “One-Inch Gold”). The candy sticks are neat, loose, and uniformly thick, with sesame seeds evenly and firmly attached to the surface. The cross-section shows clearly layered sesame seeds, sugar coating, and filling. Cunjin is crafted with meticulous skill, boasting a sweet taste and long-lasting aftertaste. It is highly popular among consumers for its great quality and affordable price.