Houan Persimmon Cakes

Houan Persimmon Cakes

　　Houan Persimmon Cakes

　　Made from high-quality oil persimmons, abundantly produced in Anxi, using traditional processing and sun-drying techniques. They are soft in texture, large in size, sweet in taste, richly oily and refreshing, as well as highly nutritious—truly a delicacy among fruits. The naturally formed white frost powder on the cakes can be brewed as a drink and also boasts significant medicinal value.

　　LianDouxMei Dried Tofu (Guandao Dried Tofu)

　　Made using a time-honored folk production technique, these dried tofu products have enjoyed over two hundred years of production history in Liandouxmei Village, Guandao Town, and have long been renowned for their place of origin. The dried tofu is primarily made from high-quality soybeans, with additives such as gypsum and star anise. It undergoes several traditional processes including cleaning, grinding, boiling, filtering, gypsum mixing (adding an appropriate amount of gypsum), stirring, wrapping, and pressing to create a refined product. The tofu is square-shaped, light yellow or white in color, firm yet elastic, holding its shape when tightly gripped but returning to form when released, and can be torn into chicken-like shreds. When tasted, it is firm without being mushy, fragrantly chewy and delicious.

　　New persimmon cakes from Houan in Anxi are considered the best. They feature a golden-yellow color, are transparent and shiny, sweet without being cloying, cool upon entry, and have a bouncy, chewy texture. They are perfect for serving guests or enjoying yourself, and make an excellent pairing with tea. They also help moisten the lungs and relieve coughs. The white frost on the cakes has even more remarkable effects, such as promoting saliva production, soothing the lungs, moisturizing the throat, calming wheezing, improving circulation, and nourishing the skin.

　　Traditionally, ten days after the first frost each year, persimmons that are about 90% ripe (earlier-picked persimmons are of lower quality, insufficiently sweet, and too hard and astringent) are selected. Their skins are peeled off, and they are continuously kneaded before being placed on bamboo trays and sun-dried. This kneading process must be repeated at least R5R times, and the sun-drying period lasts no less than R20R days, transforming the greenish-yellow persimmons into golden yellow and turning their initially hard and astringent taste into something sweet and fragrant—ready for market. To develop the white frost, the persimmons are then stored in large earthenware jars, the lids sealed, and further covered with jute bags, allowing them to slowly ferment and release the powdery white persimmon frost.