Winter Melon Preserves

Winter Melon Preserves

　　　　　　Travelers to Yuxi City often find their trip worthwhile just by being able to take home the local specialty—winter melon preserves. Hospitable hosts in Yuxi would apologize if these preserves were missing from the pastries served to guests. It’s also common for family and friends to give winter melon preserves as gifts during festivals and holidays. Yuxi’s winter melon preserves are known for being cool, sweet, crisp, transparent, and free of residue.

Legend has it that the production of winter melon preserves in Yuxi began in the late Ming Dynasty and has a history of over 400 years. In the early years of the Republic of China, Tang Jiarong, a master confectioner at Fengxiangzhai Pastry Shop in Yuxi, created "crystal preserves," greatly enhancing the reputation of Yuxi’s sweet treats. Yuxi’s winter melon preserves come in two types: red and white. Both varieties are transparent and brightly colored; the red ones are hailed as "amber preserves" and the white ones as "crystal preserves." Although called preserves, Yuxi winter melon preserves are not made with honey but are instead meticulously crafted using premium red and white sugar. They are of high quality and delicious taste, leaving eaters with the sensation that they are "not quite honey, yet better than honey." The process of making these various preserves begins with selecting winter melon with moderate moisture content. The skin is peeled off to get clean slices, which are then cut into blocks and soaked and rinsed in limewater for a week until the slices become plump and transparent. They are first soaked in sugar for a day, then boiled and clarified three times. The finished product is stored either dry or in syrup in a cool, dry place, where it will not spoil for a long time. Yuxi winter melon preserves are popular throughout the province and are also exported to places such as Beijing and Fujian. In 1982, they were named a provincial-quality product. (Yuxi)