Pine Flower Sugar

Pine Flower Sugar

　　  It is a specialty of Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi. Xingping Pine Flower Sugar from Guilin, Yangshuo, is one of the region’s time-honored traditional delicacies with over 200 years of production history. It is made entirely by hand using natural ingredients and is a beloved traditional snack among locals. Legend has it that it originated in the 10th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty. In the early 1920s, a man surnamed Liang from Yulin, who ran a pastry business in Wuzhou, returned to his hometown with his wife due to old age and declining health. Liang had no children and no close relatives, so he passed down the craft of making Pine Flower Sugar to his sworn brother, Qin. With Liang’s financial support and guidance, Qin opened a pastry shop named “Qin’s Pastry” in Yulin Town, specializing in treats such as Pine Flower Sugar, White Scatter, and Phoenix Cakes. The business flourished. Qin’s family fortunes improved, and later, one of his assistants brought the handmade technique of Pine Flower Sugar to the picturesque town of Xingping in Yangshuo, where the tradition blossomed. Since the people of Xingping are avid tea drinkers, Pine Flower Sugar became the perfect tea-time companion, eventually becoming a cherished traditional snack among the locals in Yangshuo.

　　  Production Process

　　  First, glutinous rice is ground into glutinous rice flour, which is then repeatedly kneaded into dough. The dough is shaped into strips and cut into soybean-sized granules with uniform size using a knife. These granules are then deep-fried, turning them into small round balls. Brown sugar is simmered in a firewood stove. The fried rice flour balls are added to the cooked sugar mixture and stirred continuously. The sugar-coated granules are transferred into molds while still hot and pressed in firmly. The shapes are then cut as desired using a knife, and the molds are removed. Finally, the pieces are wrapped in white paper.

　　  In 2009, Xingping Pine Flower Sugar was honored as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Yangshuo County after being recommended, publicized, and reviewed by the Yangshuo government. Even in today’s technologically advanced era, Xingping Pine Flower Sugar retains its long history, and its complex production process is still passed down orally or through hands-on practice. Amid a modern landscape saturated with additives and artificial coloring, it remains true to its roots—free from any artificial colors or additives—yet maintains its characteristic brownish-yellow hue, glossy finish, crumbly texture, and sweet, crisp flavor. Only such a delicacy, capable of truly delighting the palates of food-loving Chinese people, can stand the test of time and history, enduring for generations.