Shuichun Persimmon Cake

Shuichun Persimmon Cake

　　 Persimmon cake is a well-known specialty both at home and abroad. The production of persimmon cakes began in the Ming Dynasty. Due to its exceptional water, soil, and climatic conditions, the resulting persimmon cakes feature a white, frost-like outer layer, a texture that is dry on the surface yet moist within, with soft, golden flesh. They boast a sweet, rich flavor reminiscent of syrup and are rich in various types of sugars, vitamins, and amino acids required by the human body. Additionally, they offer medicinal benefits such as lowering blood pressure, relieving hangovers, treating stomach ailments, as well as stopping bleeding and moisturizing the intestines. As a result, persimmon cakes from Luhe have long enjoyed a great reputation and are exported to various countries in Southeast Asia, as well as to regions such as Hong Kong and Macau.

　　 Persimmon cakes are universally loved for their taste, but few may know just how complex and labor-intensive their production process is. Before processing, persimmon cakes start out as green persimmons, and the season for harvesting these green persimmons and making the cakes typically falls around the eighth and ninth months of the lunar calendar. The persimmons should not be overly ripe—those that are too yellow will not yield high-quality cakes. Persimmons that have already turned red are no longer suitable for processing and can only be eaten raw. The best persimmons for making cakes are those that are green with a slight yellowish tint. After harvesting, the first step is “undressing.” Using a specially designed small curved blade, four lobes of the persimmon skin are carefully peeled off. Be careful not to remove the “persimmon shoulder” along with the skin and flesh—if this happens, the quality of the resulting cake will be compromised and it will spoil more easily. The second step is “peeling,” where the skinned green persimmons are further peeled using a special scraper, then individually inverted and placed onto bamboo persimmon sieves to dry under the sun on specially built persimmon racks. The third step is “kneading.” As the persimmon pulp gradually softens from sun-drying, it is continuously and gently kneaded by hand while being dried. Once the pulp forms a navel-like shape, the fourth step, “smoking,” begins. The persimmon navels are stacked one sieve at a time into a pre-prepared smoking room for roasting. After smoking, they are placed back on the persimmon racks to “collect dew” overnight, then sun-dried again during the day, all while being continually kneaded until the persimmon navels take on the form of cakes. The fifth step is “blanching the cakes.” A pot of boiling water is prepared, either in a raw rice pot or aluminum pot, and the persimmon cakes are placed in a net bag and briefly blanched in the boiling water before being removed and returned to the bamboo sieves. The exposed persimmon skins are then kneaded back inward, and the cakes are left to dry in the sun. In the afternoon, they are collected and placed into bamboo baskets for the sixth step, “seeding.” Seeding involves taking persimmon cakes from the previous year that are covered in white cake frost, placing a few of them into the bamboo basket, and repeatedly shaking and tossing the basket in all directions. Then, a sack is used to tightly cover the basket opening—a process called “steaming.” The next day, the cakes are placed on the sieve to dry in the sun, collected into the basket again in the evening, tossed, and steamed. This continues until the persimmon cakes are covered with a thick, white frost—resulting in premium-grade persimmon cakes.