Anyang Liaohua

Anyang Liaohua

　　Liaohua is a traditional pastry from Anyang City (formerly known as Zhangde Prefecture), long renowned for its excellence, with the version made by Jintai Shop being the finest. According to the Jiaqing-era Annals of Anyang County from the Qing Dynasty: "The Liaohua from both Jintai and Gangta shops were widely famous." It has a history of over two hundred years.

　　Liaohua is a type of southern-style cake. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a confectioner surnamed Wu from Zhejiang fell ill while traveling north in search of work and stayed in Anyang. Thanks to the care of the locals, he recovered. Moved by the kindness and simplicity of the people in Anyang, he decided to settle there and passed on the technique for making Liaohua. Once introduced, the pastry quickly gained popularity, helping establish southern-style cakes in the north, where it has remained beloved for over two hundred years.

　　The finished Liaohua features an attractive appearance, golden color, snow-white cross-section, honeycomb-like texture, with decorative sugar threads on top and a ruffled look reminiscent of water caltrop flowers—hence it is also called Water Caltrop Flower. It tastes sweet, crisp, and soft, is easy to digest, and is rich in nutrients. Suitable for all ages, it is considered a festive delicacy and an excellent gift for family and friends.