Yellow Cake Pastry

Yellow Cake Pastry

　　The main ingredients of Yellow Cake Pastry are rice, glutinous rice, and soybeans. The finished product comes in individual rectangular blocks wrapped in bamboo shoot leaves. Originally made in Xiazichang, it became popular across Nanbai, Yaxi, and other areas due to its rich nutrition, sweet taste, and convenience for carrying. When eating, the bamboo leaf is removed, and the pastry is sliced into thin pieces, revealing the glistening grains of glutinous rice within. It can be fried, roasted, stir-fried, or steamed—each method yields a tender and flavorful result. In recent years, people from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing, and other cities have traveled specifically to buy it and take it home to savor.

　　Yellow Pastry, also known as Yellow Cake Pastry, is a very famous and distinctive food in Guizhou. City dwellers love Yellow Pastry but often lack the ingredients and tools to make it, so it is usually enjoyed as a special snack. In rural areas, while the necessary ingredients and wooden steamers are readily available, there’s little leisure time to prepare such delicacies. As a result, when farming work slows down, making a batch of Yellow Pastry becomes a festive occasion, adding a touch of holiday cheer.

　　In Guizhou, Yellow Pastry isn’t unique to any one place—it can be found almost everywhere. With widespread availability, comparisons have emerged—with those from Nanbai Town in Zunyi (northern Guizhou) and Qingzhen in Guiyang (central Guizhou) being particularly well-regarded. The former is quite large, resembling an old-fashioned square pillow, and when sliced into finger-width pieces, offers a truly satisfying bite. The latter is smaller, about the size of a fist, making it perfect for enjoying individually at one’s own pace.

　　Speaking of the origins of Yellow Pastry, there’s a little story that’s hard to verify. It goes back to the Three Kingdoms period, when Guizhou was still called Yelang. It’s said that the famous Zhuge Liang was leading troops to subdue Meng Huo, battling the chieftain of Qianzhong in Yelang. One day, while the Shu army was cooking, scouts reported that enemy forces were approaching. Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang ordered an attack and quickly repelled the chieftain’s troops. For reasons unknown—perhaps he ignored the military principle of not pursuing a fleeing enemy, or the fact that his soldiers hadn’t eaten—Zhuge Liang commanded the army to chase the enemy over a hundred miles. The pursuit was one thing, but it left the army cooks in a panic. With the troops gone and the simmering bean broth and rice unfit to waste—given the limited supplies—the cooks were at a loss. Zhuge Liang then instructed them to mix the leftover bean broth with the rice, place it in a large wooden steamer, and steam it to prevent spoilage. By the time the triumphant soldiers returned, the mixture had been steaming for nearly two days. Exhausted and hungry, the soldiers eagerly shared the food—only to find it transformed. The rice was now golden in color, sweet, soft, and delicious. They thought it was a special treat prepared by their commander and quickly finished off several batches. Locals who saw this tasty dish later imitated the method, and over a thousand years, it has been passed down through generations—becoming the delicious Yellow Pastry we know in Guizhou today.

　　The ingredients of Yellow Pastry really are as simple as the story suggests—mainly sticky rice, glutinous rice, and soybeans. But the preparation process is quite complex and time-consuming.

　　Taking the Yellow Pastry from Nanbai Town in Zunyi as an example, the first step is to grind washed sticky rice and soybeans into a mixed batter. The glutinous rice is then washed and steamed in a traditional wooden steamer until it’s about 70–80% cooked. Next, the batter and steamed glutinous rice are poured into a large wooden basin and mixed together, sometimes with a small amount of brown sugar added. After thorough stirring in the basin, the moisture from the batter is fully absorbed by the glutinous rice, allowing it to be kneaded into large, snow-white rice balls. These are then wrapped one by one in cleaned and boiled bamboo shoot husk leaves or large bamboo leaves before being placed in a big wooden steamer to be steamed.

　　Because the steamed Yellow Pastry is bright red and sweet, many assume that a lot of brown sugar is used for coloring and flavoring. However, that’s not the case. The yellow hue and sweet taste come entirely from the long steaming process. The glutinous rice mixed with soybean juice, after being steamed and fermented for a long time in a sealed wooden steamer, breaks down into abundant sugars. Meanwhile, the color of the rice changes from white to yellow, becoming increasingly fragrant and glutinous. This gives the pastry its name, and it's also the most distinctive feature—natural flavor derived purely from the ingredients. Authenticity and pure flavor represent the highest level of cuisine, and perhaps even a way of life. In this light, Yellow Pastry is truly a flavorful and characterful dish.

　　After a long 20 hours, the Yellow Pastry is finally ready, with its aroma wafting through the moist bamboo leaves. When served warm, the bamboo leaves are peeled away to reveal the glistening, golden-yellow pastry. The aromas of glutinous rice, sweetness, and bamboo fill the air and tantalize the senses, making mouths water and appetites soar.

　　Being born in Guizhou and having this delicacy readily available is truly a “blessing.” But visiting Guizhou without tasting it might just become a “regret.”