Chrysanthemum Cake

Chrysanthemum Cake

　　Chrysanthemum Cake is one of the specialties of Meixian. The cake resembles a chrysanthemum in shape, with a soft and chewy texture that is sweet and delicious. It has been around for over a hundred years and remains popular to this day. Compared to regular pastries, Chrysanthemum Cake offers the cool fragrance and serene charm of chrysanthemums, along with an attractive appearance. This cake is sweet, soft, flaky, and melts in your mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance. It also has the benefit of cooling and reducing internal heat, which is why it is especially beloved.

　　Ingredients: 20–30 Hangzhou chrysanthemum flowers, 200 grams of water chestnut starch, 1 fresh chrysanthemum (chopped), an appropriate amount of rock sugar.

　　Method: Boil the chrysanthemums in water for about 10 minutes (you can wrap the chrysanthemums in cheesecloth to avoid the hassle of straining). Once the color turns light yellow, it’s done—don’t boil for too long, or it may become slightly bitter. Remove the chrysanthemums and add rock sugar to taste. Make it slightly sweeter than usual, as the water chestnut starch solution will dilute the sweetness.

　　Add the chopped fresh chrysanthemum. Dissolve the water chestnut starch in an appropriate amount of water, pour it into the chrysanthemum water, and steam over high heat for about 15–20 minutes until fully transparent, indicating it is cooked. It can be served either hot or cold. You can also add small pieces of dried fruits such as raisins, candied fruits, apricot flesh, or goji berries to the mixture, or top it with lemon slices to enhance the flavor.