Hanji Sesame Candy

Hanji Sesame Candy

　　Production History Hanji Sesame Candy boasts a long production history, with exquisite workmanship, a sweet and crispy taste, and a distinctive flavor. It is a well-known traditional confectionery specialty from Cao County. Among them, the sesame candy from Daliuzhuang is especially famous. According to descendants of the Liu family, during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, two brothers surnamed Liu moved from — County. To earn a living, they began making malt sugar, which was then passed down through generations for over 600 years. By the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Daliuzhuang sesame candy had become a tribute item.

　　Technical Process The main ingredients are rice, millet, barley, and sesame. The production involves three steps: First, making the syrup. First, select high-quality barley and soak it in water at 26°C–27°C for seven days to sprout it, then grind it into sprout mash using a stone mill. At the same time, steam selected rice (or millet), mix it evenly with the barley sprout mash, and place it in a large vat. Pour boiling water over it to ferment. After two hours, the syrup can be drained and boiled to make malt syrup. Second, making the semi-finished product. Boil the malt syrup further to thicken it into maltose, cool it to a certain temperature, and process it into a semi-finished product. Third, making the finished product. In a processing room kept at 30°C, the semi-finished product is kneaded, pulled, and perforated, then coated with selected peeled sesame seeds and twisted into a twisted rope shape. Once slightly cooled, it becomes sesame candy. The finished candy is uniformly thick, with each piece containing 129 small holes along the center. Both ends are sealed without ventilation. It is crispy and has a sweet, pleasant taste.

　　Product Features and Sales This product is of high quality and rich in nutrition. Upon careful tasting, it offers a mouthful of sweetness with an unforgettable aftertaste, characterized by four main features: crispness, crunchiness, fragrance, and sweetness. It is also a health food that benefits life and longevity, nurtures the heart, strengthens the spleen and stimulates appetite, suitable for all ages. Annual production is only about 100 tons. Before 2000, it was mostly sold door-to-door in villages. After 2000, the Cao County Chenchen Food Factory was established. The candy is packaged in gift boxes and cartons, and is sold not only within the county and nearby areas but also in cities such as Tai’an, Qufu, Jinan, Shangqiu, Kaifeng, and Zhengzhou, where it is highly favored by customers.

　　Information Source: Heze Municipal Local Chronicles Office