Ningwu Fried Glutinous Cake

Ningwu Fried Glutinous Cake

　　Ningwu Fried Glutinous Cake is a specialty of Ningwu County in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. The surface of this fried cake is crispy, while the inside is soft and tender, sweet yet not greasy at all. It is a local delicacy of Ningwu and also makes for a delightful treat when serving guests during festivals and holidays.

　　Most regions in Shanxi grow millet. When the husk is removed from millet by milling, it becomes yellow rice, which, when ground into flour, is called cake flour. This flour is used to make this type of fried cake, which is a regional specialty across northern Shanxi and also makes for a delightful treat when serving guests during festivals and holidays.

　　The method of making Ningwu Fried Glutinous Cake is largely similar to that of other regions. Warm water is mixed with cake flour. For smaller batches, the dough is made slightly softer so it can be easily shaped into balls. For larger batches, the cake flour is first mixed with warm water, then spread in layers over a steamer basket placed over rapidly boiling water. Each layer is steamed before the next is added until all is cooked. After steaming, the cake is taken out, dipped in water, and kneaded into a uniform round flat shape. It can be filled with red bean paste or brown sugar, or shaped by sealing two halves of dough into a round form. Then it is deep-fried in hemp seed oil until golden to dark reddish-brown, after which it is removed from the oil. Freshly fried cakes have a crispy outer layer and soft, tender interior. Thanks to the natural sweetness of the yellow rice and the sugar glaze, there's no need for additional honey—it remains sweet on its own. Moreover, this sweetness is not cloying but mild and pleasant.

　　Eating cakes is a tradition in Ningwu, as in other places, not only during festivals, weddings, funerals, and when receiving guests, but also for various meaningful occasions. For example, when a baby reaches its full moon or birthday, people eat “Full Moon Cake” or “Hundredth Day Cake.” On a senior’s birthday, they eat “Longevity Cake.” For weddings, there’s “Joyful Cake,” for new house construction, “Ridge Beam Cake,” and for moving into a new home, “Moving Cake.” There’s even a saying: “If you don’t eat cake when moving, you’ll move three times in a year.”... These long-standing customs remain very popular in rural households. On one hand, they take advantage of the homophone of “cake” (糕) and “high” (高), expressing hopes for continuous advancement and prosperity. On the other hand, the round shape and red color of the cakes symbolize family unity and a prosperous life.