Dry batter cakes and soda cakes

Dry batter cakes and soda cakes

　　Dry batter cakes and soda cakes are also highly praised as breakfast staples. Among those well-known for making dry batter cakes is Liu Jinbao. His steaming pot is larger than others’, and he scoops up the rice batter from the basin with his hands, layering it into the pot. He stacks four layers in one pot—the batter doesn’t fall or spill, forming a droplet shape. After layering, he covers the pot and listens to the sound of the boiling water inside to instruct the fire tender on how to burn the firewood. Once full steam rises, he turns off the fire and lets it steam for a while, then uses a spatula to lift the cakes out. The bottoms are golden and the insides white, with a crispy, sweet, and fragrant taste.