Bian Guan Cake

Bian Guan Cake

　　The cake eaten by people in Bian Guan is not the glutinous rice cake favored in southern China, nor the white flour cake blanched with boiling water eaten in southern Shanxi. Instead, it is made from soft millet. As a local specialty of Bian Guan, this cake is soft, smooth, and pleasant to the taste, with a fragrant aroma. It can be served as a staple food with either meat or vegetables, suitable for all ages and seasons, offering both nutrition and the ability to stave off hunger. There’s a folk saying: “Fifty li on oat noodles, seventy li on cake, thirty li on buckwheat noodles will leave you starving.” Moreover, because the word “cake” (糕, gāo) is homophonous with “high” (高, gāo), it is not just a culinary delight but also a symbol of good fortune. From birth—“washing the third day,” “full moon,” “centenary celebration,” “school admission,” “moving homes,” “getting engaged,” “marriage,” “birthdays,” “festivals,” “receiving guests,” and “funerals”—cakes are indispensable. The people of Bian Guan are bound by the concept of "cake" through every major life event, highlighting its cultural significance. They love cakes, eat them often, and have mastered various creative and skillful ways to enjoy them.

　　The cake is made from millet. Once the husk is removed, the grain is called yellow millet, which, when ground into powder, becomes cake flour. Mixing it with water and steaming it yields the cake. To make a high-quality cake, even the cultivation process matters. Millet is a monocotyledon belonging to the grass family. First, seeds should be selected from large red millet with purple stalks, as this variety produces cakes that are yellow, chewy, soft, and fragrant. A local saying goes: “Large red millet with purple stalks — you’ll miss it if you go three days without it.” Millet is one of the late-planted and early-harvested crops among autumn grains. It is sown around Mangzhong (Grain in Ear) and harvested between Cold Dew and the start of autumn, having only about a hundred days to grow. It thrives in mild climates, prefers sunny slopes, and benefits from farmyard manure such as sheep dung. Therefore, within the Bian Guan region, lower altitudes are better suited for growing millet—the higher the altitude, the less chewy the resulting cake. For the best taste, fresh millet and newly hulled yellow millet are ideal. Coarse sieving yields coarse flour, while fine sieving results in fine cake flour—the finer the flour, the smoother and more delicious the cake. When mixing the dough, water and flour should first be combined and left to rest before further mixing. Kneading cake flour, known as “rubbing the cake dough,” involves vigorously working the water-mixed and rested dough with your hands in a basin. Well-rubbed dough results in a chewier cake. The dough is then hand-formed into lumps and steamed over high heat. Steam layer by layer, and do not spread it too thick in one go. Due to the cake’s high stickiness, the top layers that encounter heat first may turn mushy, blocking steam from reaching the lower layers, leaving them undercooked—resulting in an unappetizing “bald cake” that is sticky and unpleasant to eat, possibly causing indigestion. Therefore, even after steaming, use chopsticks to check for any undercooked parts inside. Only when fully cooked should it be taken off the heat. Freshly steamed cake is called “raw cake,” which is edible but not as tasty as “kneaded cake.” To knead the cake, use your hands to press and flip the raw cake in the basin, aiming for a smooth basin, hands, and cake surface. Kneading is very hot work, so keep cold water nearby to dip your hands in between kneading sessions. However, ensure your hands are completely dry before returning to the dough—excess water can ruin the quality of the cake.

　　Cakes are divided into fried cakes (油糕, yóu gāo) and plain cakes (素糕, sù gāo). As the name implies, fried cakes are deep-fried, while plain cakes are typically served with dips. People often say, “Save oil by eating plain cake,” which might sound like eating plain cake is just a way to cut costs—but there’s another saying: “Fried cake, plain cake, both are better with meat.” For the people of Bian Guan, influenced by northern dietary customs and fond of rich meats, meat-dipped cake is the most delicious option. The creators of Chinese characters might have been foodies too, as they combined the character for “rice” (米) with “lamb” (羔) to form “cake” (糕)—isn’t this reminiscent of Bian Guan’s lamb dipped in plain cake? The fragrant cake paired with the rich aroma of lamb makes it one of the most delightful dishes in the world. In addition, pork-dipped cake and chicken-dipped cake are also excellent. For those who don’t eat meat, dips like yam, squash, tofu, or sweet pastes served with the cake are equally tasty. I once saw a bachelor, for the sake of convenience, toast a handful of hemp seeds, mash them, stir them in water over heat to form a paste, and use it as a dip for his cake—a unique flavor in its own right. This is largely because Bian Guan cakes are truly authentic—soft, smooth, chewy, and fragrant—no matter how you prepare them, they’re delicious.

　　Fried cakes, also called deep-fried cakes, come in two types: stuffed and sweet slices. Stuffed ones include vegetable pockets, red bean paste cakes, sugar cakes, jujube paste cakes, and sesame paste cakes. Each has its own symbolic meaning: vegetable pockets signify “smooth progress”; red bean-filled ones represent “red at heart”; sugar-filled cakes mean “sweet at heart”; jujube paste signifies “early success”; and sesame paste stands for “prosperity rising step by step.” Aside from everyday enjoyment based on personal taste, during guest receptions and festive celebrations, symbolic stuffing is often chosen for good luck. Among vegetable pocket cakes, two of the most distinctive varieties are garlic pockets and chive cakes. Garlic pockets are filled with sautéed shredded carrots and diced tofu seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, ginger, oil, and salt. When eating, a corner is bitten open and filled with vinegar and garlic juice, offering a uniquely aromatic taste. Chive cakes are made by steaming and peeling yams, grating the flesh, and stir-frying it with soaked wood ear mushrooms (scientific name: Umbilicaria esculenta), scallions, ginger, oil, salt, and chopped chives. “Chive cake bends your waist with fragrance,” is the common reaction after trying it—showcasing it as one of Bian Guan’s most iconic dishes.

　　Sweet disc cakes are often prepared when hosting larger gatherings. The cake is rolled on a large board into logs about two to three inches thick. A thick string about a meter long, with a small wooden stick tied to each end, is used. The cake maker holds one stick in their mouth and the other in their hand. With the other hand, they wrap the string around the cake log, pull it tight, and slice off a small, about one-centimeter-thick piece. After pressing it slightly, it’s ready for deep frying. Some prefer to first roll the cake into a large, less than one-centimeter-thick sheet on the board, then spread red bean or jujube paste on top to create a red layer. They may fold or roll it as needed, eventually forming a log again. When sliced with the string, patterns such as the Chinese characters for “longevity” or “joy” may appear, enhancing the festive atmosphere.

　　For deep-frying the cakes, various animal or vegetable oils can be used, but the most fragrant and authentic choice is full-seed flaxseed oil. The heat should be moderate—not too high, which would char the outside leaving the inside raw and tough, nor too low, which would result in a pale, soggy texture. The ideal is a steady sizzle with fragrant oil as the cake turns golden brown. Fried cakes are best eaten fresh out of the fryer, when the fragrance of the cake, the richness of the filling, the aroma of frying, and the contrast between the crispy exterior and soft interior combine into an unforgettable taste experience.

　　Eating only fried cakes can get a bit monotonous, so they are usually served with other dishes. In winter, pork and tofu stewed with glass noodles warms you up nicely alongside the cake. In summer, cucumber and vermicelli salad with bean sprouts or mustard jelly cools you down. In spring, a pot of wine and a plate of warm noodles pair well. In autumn, a pot of lamb and a plate of cake make for a cozy family meal. Cakes are one of the year-round staples beloved by the people of Bian Guan.

　　Cake modeling is part of the offerings made to ancestors and deities during festivals in Bian Guan. With its golden color, enticing fragrance, soft and moldable texture, and the skilled hands of Bian Guan women, cake modeling has become a cultural art form second only to dough modeling. During festivals, as night falls, in front of the “Heaven and Earth God,” within the shrines of “Door Gods,” and at the altar of the “Kitchen God,” incense burns alongside offerings. A sheet of yellow paper and a “cake lamp” filled with fragrant oil create a sacred ambiance. On the 20th and 25th of the first lunar month, celebrating the birthdays of the “Young” and “Old Granary Gods,” people place modeled cake figures of people and horses, along with lit cake lamps, into small basins and float them on the water’s surface in large water jars. They chant repeatedly: “Granary God, water your horse, carry millet and grain back with you,” praying for a bountiful harvest. In autumn, when the threshing grounds are piled high with grain like small mountains, brooms become tails, rakes become legs, shovels become horns, and winnowing baskets become mouths. The piles are decorated with red and colorful ornaments, transforming into mythical beasts said to be overflowing with grain that can’t be carried away. At this time, the host places cake offerings for the field deity nearby. After the fireworks, children from the village and young men helping with the grain storage all rush to grab and eat the cake offerings. During birthdays and full moon celebrations, groups of young women—sisters-in-law and relatives—gather around the cake basin, chatting and molding figures. Fish and lotus pods, plump pigs and cattle, deer, dragons, phoenixes, butterflies, and mandarin ducks not only showcase their crafting skills but also embed their heartfelt wishes into these sacred, sweet cake models. On wedding nights, on the bridal chamber’s offering table and in front of the incense burner, a pair of zodiac cake models representing the newlyweds are tied together with a red string, symbolizing the family’s collective blessings.

　　Source: Office of the People's Government of Bian Guan County