Xingyang Persimmon Cakes

Xingyang Persimmon Cakes

　　Xingyang Persimmon Cakes are a specialty of Xingyang City, Zhengzhou, Henan Province. The region boasts uniquely favorable water and soil conditions, producing persimmons that, when made into cakes, are rich in flesh, thick with frost, sweet in taste, and of the finest quality in the world—hence the saying “Frost-coated persimmon cakes are unique to Xingyang.”

　　Xingyang is honored as the persimmon capital of Henan Province for its reputation of having “the best persimmons in the world.” In 1993, together with Heyin pomegranates, it was named one of Zhengzhou’s top ten historical famous products. Persimmon cakes are a traditional specialty of Xingyang, known for their white frost, seedlessness, soft texture, sweet taste, and excellent storage and transportability.

　　According to locals, persimmons ripen around Frost’s Descent. People then begin processing them into cakes. Xingyang Persimmon Cakes are generally made using natural drying methods. The production process roughly involves the following four steps:　　

　　1. Fruit Selection: Choose fully ripe, firm-fleshed persimmons with a well-shaped body, flat or slightly protruding tops, no vertical grooves, high sugar content, and few or no seeds. Remove any mechanically damaged or worm-eaten fruits.

　　2. Peeling: Nowadays, a pedal-operated semi-automatic peeling machine is mostly used. The skin is rotated and shaved off. The peeling must be clean, and the peeled layer should be thin and even.

　　3. Sun-Drying the Cakes: Select a location with ample sunlight, good air circulation, and cleanliness. Build a rack using wooden sticks or bricks, about 0.8–1 meter high, and cover it with sorghum stalk mats. Place the peeled persimmons on the mats with their tops facing upward, in a single layer, and sun-dry them. Cover them with mats at night to protect against dew, and shield them from rain during rainy days. After about 10 days, when the flesh begins to wrinkle and the tops cave in, perform the first turnover. Thereafter, turn them every 3 to 4 days, and during each turnover, also knead the cakes. By the second kneading, the outer part of the cake will be hard while the inside remains soft. Once the softened cakes no longer sweat, it is time to apply the frost. Good frost formation depends on proper execution.

　　4. Frost Application: Place two cakes together with their tops touching and calyx ends facing outward. In a jar, layer dried persimmon skins and persimmon cakes alternately, repeating until the jar is nearly full. Then seal the jar and place it in a cool spot to allow the frost to develop. The formation of frost on the cakes is related to ambient temperature—the lower the temperature, the better the frost. Xingyang’s uniquely favorable water and soil produce persimmons that, when made into cakes, are rich in flesh, thick with frost, sweet in taste, and of the finest quality in the world—hence the saying “Frost-coated persimmon cakes are unique to Xingyang.”

　　“Sweet osmanthus blooms as persimmons redden; frost falls, the picking begins in autumn breeze. A fine tonic for lungs and coughs, a fine breed that strengthens the spleen. While many admire its sweet-and-bitter taste, few know the healing power of its calyx. Best of all, its leaves make tea to sip; in time, they may help you greet old age with grace.” Persimmon cakes are highly nutritious and therapeutic. The white frost coating the surface of the cakes, as white as flour, can treat pharyngitis and mouth ulcers. When the persimmons are sun-dried into cakes, the glucose and fructose in the flesh seep into the skin, forming crystallized glucose similar to the syrup on candied fruit—truly the essence of the persimmon cake. Meanwhile, this “white frost” keeps the entire cake dry. When processed and boiled, persimmon cakes can treat bloody stools and coughs in the elderly, and also offer certain efficacy for hepatitis. According to some persimmon cake merchants, Xingyang Persimmon Cakes have in recent years entered international markets such as Southeast Asia and Japan.