Yangquan Pressed Cake

Yangquan Pressed Cake

　　“Golden cake, thin as paper, crumbles in the mouth, crisp and crunchy.” In the memories of the people in this mountain city, pressed cake is a unique local snack distinctive to the Yangquan area, quietly accompanying their lives for many years. According to the recollections of older generations in Yangquan, when they were children, every household had a “pressed cake griddle.” When night fell, the whole family would gather around the stove, mix a bowl of batter, and in no time, produce fragrant, golden-brown pressed cakes.

　　Due to the long history and wide distribution of the traditional production technique, it’s impossible to determine exactly when this unique mountain city snack made with special craftsmanship first originated. In many villages and towns across our city, it is customary for locals to make pressed cakes during the agricultural off-season, and there are also many legendary tales about the pressed cake passed down through generations.

　　Located at the border between Shanxi and Hebei provinces, Nangzi Pass guards the throat between Shanxi and Hebei. Legend has it that it got its name because Princess Pingyang, the sister of Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, once led troops to guard the pass. In the Nangzi Pass area, when speaking of the origins of pressed cake, locals tell an ancient legend: after Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, established the Tang Dynasty, he sent his daughter, Princess Pingyang, to garrison Nangzi Pass. During one battle, the women soldiers were besieged inside the pass and cut off from their food supplies. To support the army and defend against the enemy, local villagers contributed their own grain, mixed it with spring water to form a batter, and baked it into crisp cakes that were easy to store and transport, helping the women soldiers get through the difficult times. With the villagers’ help, the women soldiers boosted their morale, held the pass, and the delicious, fragrant crisp cakes were passed down and became a famous local snack.

　　Nowadays, Nangzi Pass has become a well-known tourist destination nearby. With the development of local tourism, many farmhouse courtyards in Nangziguan Village have opened to visitors, offering traditional farm-style meals while also selling the area’s traditional delicacy — pressed cake — to tourists.