Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns

Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns

　　Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns

　　Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns are well-known street snacks in Yizhou.

　　Both Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns are pastries made from glutinous oil rice. The Pine Cake is a one-inch cube formed using a mold, entirely snow-white, soft like a plain rice cake but not a sponge cake as the rice flour is not fermented. It has a loose, crumbly texture, hence the name “Pine Cake” or “Pine Cake Snack.” The Block-Printed Steamed Bun looks like a bun but isn’t quite one—the more accurate term is a steamed bun pressed from a carved wooden block mold (known in Yizhou dialect as “pie block,” referring to the wooden baking molds). It is round, about 5 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick. Because it’s pressed using a wood-carved “pie block” (Yizhou dialect for a traditional wooden pastry mold), it features patterns such as dragons and phoenixes (symbolizing good fortune), bats and longevity deities (symbolizing blessings), or floral and bird designs. After steaming, it turns a brownish-red color. It’s both soft and chewy, sweet and refreshing, doesn’t stick to the teeth, and isn’t cloying. Suitable for all ages, it’s also economical—you can get both for just a dime. Though they may seem like ordinary pastries, they’re mysteriously delightful in ways hard to explain: these “high-contrast” treats differ in shape (square vs. round), color (white vs. dark), texture (soft vs. chewy), and flavor, with distinct production methods. Yet, the people of Yizhou insist on pairing them together—sellers make and sell them together without offering anything else, and buyers often purchase both to eat together. Each is delicious on its own, but together they create a unique taste. For this reason, since ancient times, mention of the Pine Cake automatically brings up the Block-Printed Steamed Bun, leading outsiders to mistake them for a single pastry and overlook that they are actually two distinct items.

　　It’s unclear whether these two snacks, Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns, are indigenous to Yizhou or were introduced from elsewhere—there’s no definitive historical record. But according to elders, their ancestors passed down stories through generations, claiming that these snacks have been eaten for as long as anyone can remember. Regardless of their origins, they’ve been “rooted” in Yizhou for at least three or four hundred years and have become authentic local delicacies, even the “representatives” of Yizhou pastries. If you strike up a conversation with a stranger elsewhere and they claim to be from Yizhou, there’s an easy half-proof of their authenticity: just ask them what Pine Cake Steamed Buns and Block-Printed Steamed Buns are. If they can explain them, you can believe they’re probably the real deal. If they can’t, they might just be faking it—because the impression these snacks leave on the locals is deep, practically common knowledge known to young and old alike.