Guangbing (Relic Cake)

Guangbing

　　Among the hundreds of local snacks in Fuzhou and Ningde, Guangbing is the simplest and most humble one. Its ingredients consist only of flour, alkaline flour, salt, plus a little sesame, and it is about the size of a silver dollar. Compared to Beijing’s sesame paste-coated scallion pancakes or Jiangsu’s Huangqiao baked cakes, which are brushed with oil and

　　　　seasoned, Guangbing lacks both sophistication and flavor. However, it should not be underestimated — this humble cake has a remarkable origin.

　　　　 According to the local chronicles of Fuzhou and Ningde Prefecture: In the 42nd year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1563 AD), the national hero Qi Jiguang led his troops into Fujian to pursue and eliminate the wokou (Japanese pirates). Unexpectedly, continuous rainy weather prevented the army from using stoves to cook. Qi Jiguang then ordered the making of a very simple type of small cake, which was strung on hemp ropes and hung around the soldiers’ necks as field rations, greatly facilitating their combat operations. Later, these small cakes spread to the civilian population, where they became not only a common food but also an essential offering for worshipping gods and ancestors. To honor Qi Jiguang, later generations named this small cake “Guangbing” (literally “Qi’s Cake”).