Wenjiang Crisp Candy

Wenjiang Crisp Candy

　　Wenjiang Crisp Candy has a history of over 300 years. Historical records indicate that its creator was Ma Jingshan, a renowned confectioner from Shou’an Township, Wenjiang County, during the late Ming Dynasty. He ran a candy workshop called Jixiangzhai, which was famous for producing traditional Chinese pastries. Mastering various techniques such as steaming, baking, frying, and roasting in Chinese pastry making, he pioneered a uniquely flavored new variety—crisp candy—and used the noble title “Fubo General” of the Eastern Han Dynasty general Ma Yuan as his trademark, naming it “Fubo Brand Crisp Candy.” It is said that Ma Jingshan regarded himself as a descendant of Ma Yuan, who held an important place in Eastern Han history, and Ma Jingshan used this connection to promote the reputation of the crisp candy.

　　Wenjiang Crisp Candy is fragrant, sweet, crisp, flaky, delicate, and melts in your mouth. Its fragrance is not overwhelming, its sweetness doesn’t reveal sugar, its crispness is not harsh, and its flakiness doesn’t feel hard. After eating, it leaves a feeling of refreshing the heart and lifting the mood.

　　In the 24th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, a local man named Ma Jingshan, skilled in small candy production, operated the “Jixiangzhai” Beijing confectionery shop in Wujiachang and created crisp candy. Because he shared the same surname as Ma Yuan, the famous Fubo General of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he named it “Fubo Brand” Crisp Candy. Later, Li Tuqi from Wujiachang opened the “Kuichenghao” Beijing confectionery shop and imitated the product, naming it “Laojun Brand” Crisp Candy. These two products respectively won the “First Pioneer of Crisp Candy” banner at the Sichuan Provincial Encouragement Industry Fair in the 23rd and 32nd years of the Republic of China, as well as the gold award for local famous products. From then on, the crisp candy gained fame and expanded its market. Subsequently, the “Fengchixuan” Beijing confectionery shop in Yufu Town hired Ma Jingshan’s son as a technician to produce the candy. Later, other shops such as “Shoukangcun” also began imitation production. The county produced around ten thousand boxes of crisp candy annually.

　　Wenjiang Crisp Candy uses a traditional recipe with carefully selected ingredients and a unique process. The main ingredients include white sesame seeds, refined white sugar, cake flour, cooked wheat flour, maltose, and tempered lard. After undergoing processes such as dough-making and sugar paste preparation, two pots are used to alternately press the dough and sugar paste into thin sheets over low heat until no visible gluten remains. These are then rolled into tubes, sliced, and packaged. Wenjiang Crisp Candy boasts the characteristics of being fragrant, sweet, crisp, and flaky.