Taishi Cake

Taishi Cake

　　A type of pastry popular in Duyun. The Taishi Cake has a flat, drum-like shape, with both sides colored yellow or light yellow and the edges white or light yellow. The crust is flaky with distinct layers, neither cracking nor hollow inside. The filling, made from appropriately textured fruit ingredients, is sweet and deliciously crumbly.

Legend has it that during the Shang Dynasty, when King Wu of Zhou attacked King Zhou of Shang, the latter sent his Grand Tutor Wen Zhong to lead troops into battle. To shorten the marching time, the Grand Tutor created a kind of candied flatbread to serve as military rations. Later, the recipe spread to the public and, through continuous refinement, evolved into a sweet, flaky pastry with a fruit-filled sugar core. In honor of Grand Tutor Wen, it was named the "Taishi Cake."