Lingshi Oil Cake

Lingshi Oil Cake

　　Oil cake is one of the more premium varieties among Lingshi’s local snacks and is an essential food item for festivals, entertaining guests, weddings and funerals, as well as religious ceremonies in Lingshi. There is a saying: “If you don’t eat cake on the Winter Solstice, the demons will brush against your door.” This means that regardless of wealth, every household must eat cake on this day. It symbolizes that good fortune will rise step by step (like rising cake) in the coming year, and life will be sweet and enjoyable (like the filling).

　　　　The traditional method of making oil cake has a long history, and with the gradual improvement in living standards, many variations have been added. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into two types: rice flour cake and wheat flour cake. Rice flour cake includes varieties such as soft rice flour cake and glutinous rice flour cake. Regardless of the type, the preparation method is largely the same. First, prepare the filling: boil red beans and red dates over low heat until fully cooked. Once the water has mostly evaporated, add a small amount of brown sugar to enhance sweetness, then mash the mixture into a paste using a spoon until very smooth—this becomes the red bean paste filling. Next, add a little boiling water to the cake flour, knead it into a steamed bun shape, and steam it in a basket. Then coat it with a bit of cooking oil and form it into a dough. Divide the dough into evenly sized pieces. Wrap each piece around the red bean paste filling just like making dumplings, then flatten them into round discs about a few centimeters in diameter. Finally, deep-fry them in oil until ready to eat. Wheat flour cake has a relatively later history than rice flour cake, and its preparation method also differs. For the filling: first roast sesame seeds, peanuts, walnut kernels, and melon seeds, grind the sesame into powder, and chop the other ingredients into small pieces. Mix them together with an appropriate amount of white sugar to form the filling. For the cake wrapper: steam sweet potatoes (yams) until cooked, peel them, and mash them into a paste. Mix in an appropriate amount of wheat flour to form a uniform dough. Then wrap the filling, shape it into round discs or half-moon shapes, deep-fry them in oil until golden brown, and they’re ready. Both rice flour cake and wheat flour cake are brightly colored, sweet, and delicious, making them one of the most popular and widely enjoyed snack foods among the people.