Yunteng

Yunteng

　　Yunteng, also known as "Yuntou'er," is a type of pastry that originated in Luoyang and was commonly made by almost every household in the old city, especially during the Lunar New Year. It was traditionally prepared to usher in good fortune and prosperity for the coming year, symbolizing the rising clouds bringing blessings. The pastry is shaped to resemble auspicious clouds in a state of gentle movement and ascent, half-lit and half-shadowed. To make it, dried persimmons (a local specialty) are boiled and mashed into a puree, which is then spread thickly over a sweetened and rolled dough. The mixture is rolled into logs, sliced, and then pinched into cloud-like shapes using bamboo chopsticks. These are then deep-fried in warm oil until fully cooked, and left to cool and dry. The resulting pastry is soft, flaky, chewy, fragrant, and sweet, with an attractive and eye-catching color pattern of yellow, white, and black.