Aiwowo

Aiwowo

　　Aiwowo is a type of halal snack that has been passed down in Beijing to this day. Its most prominent characteristics can be summarized as: “snow-white in color, spherical in shape, soft and sticky in texture, and sweet and fragrant in taste.” (Quoted from *A Guide to Beijing’s Traditional Culture*) Speaking of this halal snack “Aiwowo” in the capital, originally, it was just an ordinary halal snack.

　　So, why did “Aiwowo” gradually become a famous halal snack that shook the capital starting from the Ming Dynasty? The reason behind this is somewhat closely related to the “Chuxiu Palace” inside today’s Forbidden City (also known as the “Purple Forbidden City,” commonly referred to as the “Imperial Palace”).

　　According to legends among old Beijingers, a eunuch who once served in the “Purple Forbidden City” said that during the Ming Dynasty, the emperors, empresses, or imperial concubines living in the “Chuxiu Palace” quite enjoyed eating “Aiwowo.” Why? Because some favored imperial concubines, especially the empresses, would get tired of eating delicacies every day. One day, a chef who served the emperors, empresses, and concubines in the “Chuxiu Palace”—who happened to be Hui (Chinese Muslim)—brought some of the halal food “Aiwowo” that he often ate at home. While he was eating it in the kitchen, a palace maid tried it and found it delicious, so she took some to the emperor and empress. They also found it very tasty. From then on, they began to have the chef make “Aiwowo” for the emperors, empresses, and concubines in the “Chuxiu Palace.” Especially the empress, not only did she eat it frequently, but she also highly praised it, saying the chef’s “Aiwowo” was not only “snow-white” and pleasing to the eye, but it also tasted “sweet and fragrant.”

　　This situation spread out from the “Purple Forbidden City,” and so starting from the Ming Dynasty, “Aiwowo” suddenly became highly valued, gained fame throughout the capital, and became one of the more well-known halal snacks in the city. It was even honored with the name “Imperial Aiwowo.” This is recorded in *A Guide to Beijing’s Traditional Culture*: Aiwowo is “a type of halal snack from Beijing. Snow-white in color, spherical in shape, soft and sticky in texture, and sweet and fragrant in taste. Because it was favored by the emperors and empresses during the Ming Dynasty, it was named ‘Imperial Aiwowo,’ and later spread to the public, evolving into ‘Aiwowo.’”

　　In daily life, if you’d like to try it, besides buying it ready-made, you can also make it yourself—it’s not difficult.

　　The traditional method for making Aiwowo is: wash glutinous rice, soak it in water overnight, steam it for two hours, then add boiling water. Once the rice has absorbed enough moisture, steam it for another hour before removing it from the pot. Use a wooden mallet to pound the rice into a paste, let it cool, then divide it into small portions and press them into small round cakes. Stuff them with a filling made from a mixture of sesame seeds, walnuts, Chinese plums, hawthorn candy, rock sugar, and osmanthus sugar. Shape them into balls about the size of a table tennis ball, roll them in steamed glutinous rice flour, and dot them with a red spot to finish.