Wuding Buckwheat Cakes

Wuding Buckwheat Cakes

　　Wuding Buckwheat Cakes

　　The hometown of Alayi Village lies in the cradle of the majestic Wumeng Mountains in central Yunnan’s Wuding. The unique climate there is perfect for growing tartary buckwheat. Every year after the Torch Festival, every household uses their rustic stone mill to grind tartary buckwheat flour, then happily makes buckwheat cakes to share and savor the joy of the harvest.

　　The local Yi people’s method of making buckwheat cakes is very simple. The dough is shaped into strips about one chi (approximately 1/3 meter) long, three cun (approximately 10 cm) thick, and five cun (approximately 17 cm) wide, then boiled in hot water until cooked and ready to eat. However, what makes Wuding buckwheat cakes retain their uniquely slightly bitter yet sweet aftertaste is the crucial control of heat during boiling—typically cooking them to about 90% done ensures the best flavor, maintaining that pleasant bitter-sweet balance.