Sugar Ears

Sugar Ears

　　    Honey Twist is a popular and well-known snack in Beijing, also called Sugar Ears because of its ear-like shape after being formed. An old poem goes: “Can ears really be turned into food? Often with my partner I’d have honey twist, asking loudly whose is best, and someone would point ahead to a certain spot.” It also notes: “Sugar Ears, or honey twist, are foods made by the Muslim community. Their ingredients are nothing more than granulated sugar, flour, and small sugar, the latter being what is commonly called maltose.”

　　    The dough used for honey twist must be fermented dough mixed with an appropriate amount of alkali, and another portion of dough is mixed with brown sugar. When making it, divide the fermented dough into two pieces. Roll out one piece, spread the brown sugar dough on top, then roll out the other piece of fermented dough and place it over the brown sugar dough. This creates a two-layer fermented dough with one layer of sugar dough. Cut the stacked dough into strips about 5 cm long, press one side of each strip thin to form a slope, then bring the thin edge and thick edge together and cut the pieces into small blocks weighing around 40 grams each. Make a slit in the middle of each small block, open it up, flip the thin side inward, and fold the thick side over to create an ear-shaped blank. Heat peanut oil to about 150°C (moderate heat), fry the blanks in batches until they turn golden yellow, then remove and drain the oil. While still hot, soak them in warm maltose syrup for one minute — this process is called “honey soaking.” Once fully soaked, take them out and place them on a plate to cool. Be sure to fry them thoroughly; otherwise, they may turn out undercooked and not fully infused with the syrup, resulting in poor texture and taste.

　　    Honey Twist is shiny golden brown, soft and fluffy in texture, and sweet and delicious. The Honey Twist from Nanlaishun Restaurant in Beijing’s southern district is of consistent high quality due to years of production experience. The key lies in using the right amount of alkali — there’s no sour taste, the frying is thorough, and the syrup is evenly absorbed, meeting the standards for a soft, fluffy, and richly flavored product. In 1997, it was honored as a “Famous Beijing Snack” and a “Famous Chinese Snack.”

　　    Similar to Honey Twist is Honey Crisp, which uses exactly the same ingredients but has a different shape. It is made by rolling the dough flat into three layers, making several vertical cuts in the middle, frying it, and then soaking it in syrup. Other similar treats include Dry Sugar Twist and Hibiscus Dry Sugar. Dry Sugar Twist is not soaked in syrup, nor is Hibiscus Dry Sugar — instead, it is coated with a layer of powdered sugar made from cooked flour and white sugar. All of these have the characteristics of being sweet, crispy, and flaky.