Wang Family Walnut Cookies

Wang Family Walnut Cookies

　　The traditional snack “Wangji Fuxing Old Shop Walnut Cookies” from Ningqiang County was established during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, often served as tribute, and its craftsmanship has been passed down through generations to this day. The basic production process involves steaming flour, mixing it with rapeseed oil, and forming an oil dough; then taking more flour and adding the oil dough, alkaline flour, and refined flour, mixing it with hot water that is just about to boil, and letting it rest briefly. The walnut kernels are roasted over a fire, peeled, and then mashed with fine salt to make a walnut paste. A piece of dough is taken, mixed with the walnut paste, and divided into portions. A rolling pin (a hollow wooden cylinder with a small stick inserted inside, used for rolling out small pieces of dough) is used to roll them into strips, which are then coated with walnut paste, rolled into cylinders, and cut lengthwise into two pieces with a knife. The inner layers are rolled outward into circles, coated with walnut paste and rapeseed oil on both sides, and pressed into a concave shape with a round wooden pin from the middle downward. They are then placed in the bottom pan of a three-tiered griddle (a specialized three-layer oven used in Shaanxi for baking cookies) and baked for 3 minutes, flipped, and baked for another 5 minutes until golden brown.

　　Its characteristics are: golden color, richly flaky and delicious taste, and it does not spoil even when stored for a long time. It contains abundant unsaturated fatty acids and carbohydrates. Walnuts also have the dietary therapeutic effects of strengthening the waist and kidneys, as well as moistening the intestines and facilitating bowel movements.

　　The famous snack from Ningqiang County, “Wang Family Walnut Flatbread,” is as small as a ceramic lid, orange-yellow in color, rich in flavor, and crispy on the palate. What makes it especially rare is that even after being left for days or even over ten days, its color and taste remain as fresh as ever. Over the long years, a number of interesting anecdotes about Wang Family Walnut Flatbread have been passed down. In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1900), when the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Tianjin and Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu fled to Xi’an for refuge. Upon hearing the news, local officials hurried to Xi’an to pay their respects, and they presented this flatbread as tribute for imperial use. Once this story spread, the status of the flatbread among the public soared instantly. The Wang family’s flatbread shop has a long history. Initially, the head chef was named Wang Peilu, born in the 5th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1866). When he was eleven or twelve years old, he began learning the craft from his father, Wang Wenxuan. Wenxuan’s teacher was also surnamed Wang, a person from the Qianlong–Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, who ran a shop called “Fuxing Old Shop,” specializing in making various kinds of cookies as well as Manchu and Han pastries, and was quite renowned in the local food industry at the time. Wenxuan became an apprentice at the “Fuxing Old Shop” during the Jiaqing reign. Because his master had no children and saw that he was capable and diligent, he predicted that he would one day take over the business. Before his death, the master thus passed on the shop’s signboard to Wenxuan for continued use.

　　Between the 10th and 17th years of the Republic of China (1921–1928), Wu Xintian, the commander of the Seventh Division of the Beiyang warlords in southern Shaanxi, was stationed in Hanzhong and developed an addiction to this flatbread. On one occasion, he sent a trusted bodyguard to Ningqiang to buy some. Afraid of the arduous journey over mountains and rivers, the guard stopped halfway in Mian County and had a similar version custom-made at a local flatbread shop, which he then brought back to Hanzhong to complete the task. Seeing Wu’s pleased expression, the guard thought he would be rewarded. However, Wu took one bite, flew into a rage, threw the flatbread on the ground, accused him of lying, shouted “Guards!” and ordered him to be given 20 military lashes. But the guard still insisted he was telling the truth. Only when Wu ordered someone to bring out a remaining genuine piece of Wang Family flatbread from the kitchen and had him taste it did the guard dare not argue anymore, finally confessing the truth.

　　In the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), Jiang Dingwen, the Chairman of Shaanxi Province, passed through Ningqiang. The county government served walnut flatbread as a reception pastry. After tasting it, Jiang highly praised it. Upon returning to Xi’an, he specially issued a “Production Commendation Certificate” to the Wang Family flatbread shop as encouragement.

　　In the same year, Yu Youren, a veteran of the 1911 Revolution, a giant in the contemporary calligraphy world, and a senior official of the central government, stayed at the Central Bank in Ningqiang while traveling to Sichuan. It is said that after tasting the flatbread, he also gave it high praise. When leaving, his accompanying staff bought several packages to take to Chongqing. At that time, some high-ranking officials in the wartime capital who tried it all gave it their nods of approval. Since the establishment of the “Fuxing Old Shop” during the Qianlong era, up to the liberation in 1949, it had a history of over two hundred years.

　　The father-and-son duo of Wenxuan and Peilu carried on the tradition, specializing in making various kinds of cookies and Manchu–Han pastries, each with unique features, continuing to this day. Among them, the “walnut flatbread” stands out as the most exceptional, shining brightly on its own.

　　Related utensils

　　1. Storage bucket: used for storing walnut kernels, fermenting walnut kernels, and storing finished materials. 2. Mixing bowl: used for fermenting dough, fermenting dough mixture, and holding dough.

　　3. Cutting board: used for kneading dough, making dough sheets, etc.

　　4. Grinder: used for grinding walnut kernels.

　　5. Rolling pin: used for adding ingredients to dough and rolling out dough sheets.

　　6. Oven: used for baking walnut flatbread.

　　7. Storage cabinet (tray): used for holding and storing walnut flatbread.

　　Craft characteristics

　　Wang Family Walnut Flatbread uses an oil-based fermented dough, with variations in time and water temperature throughout the seasons. The fermentation process is divided into three stages. After the first stage of dough fermentation is fully completed, a certain proportion of raw flour is added, followed by further fermentation. Then, a certain proportion of prepared edible vegetable oil is added, and after slight fermentation, walnut paste is mixed in and the dough is divided into portions. The dough is rolled into strips, coated with walnut paste on the surface, shaped into round cakes, and finally coated again with walnut paste and vegetable oil before being baked in the oven. In the old days, the finished cakes were shaped like “dragon eyes,” with phoenix patterns around the edges, known as “Manchu–Han Dragon–Phoenix Joy Cookies,” and were served as tribute to Empress Dowager Cixi. What makes walnut flatbread truly unique is primarily the preparation of the walnut paste, a complex process. First, the shelled walnut kernels are soaked to remove the skins, then chopped, and mixed with seasonings such as salt and Sichuan peppercorns for another round of soaking and fermentation. Then, they are mashed into a paste, mixed with bitter beans and vegetable oil, and further fermented until a distinctive aroma develops.

　　Production process

　　1. Soaking and peeling of walnut kernels. The selected walnut kernels are placed in a container with spices and soaked. Only through this method of soaking can the thin skin on the surface be removed, resulting in a pure color. 2. Fermentation of walnut kernels. The peeled walnut kernels are placed in a container with a certain proportion of edible oil for fermentation. Only through fermentation can they develop a special aroma; otherwise, they will taste like ordinary walnut kernels.

　　3. Ingredient addition and fermentation. The fermented walnut kernels are crushed, then mixed with seasonings such as Sichuan peppercorns and salt for another round of fermentation to enhance their rich and unique aroma. After fermentation, they are crushed again into a paste, fermented once more, and stored for later use.

　　4. Dough fermentation and kneading. The dough undergoes three rounds of fermentation, with varying times and degrees each time, and the procedure for adding walnut paste during production also differs.

　　5. Baking. The control of heat when placing the dough in the oven for baking is crucial, as it affects the color, aroma, and taste.

　　Main characteristics

　　1. The popularity and love for Ningqiang walnut flatbread stem from its unique local flavor. The walnuts offer extremely high nutritional value and a fragrance that cannot be replicated by other foods. Its aroma and taste are also unmatched by the wide variety of modern snacks.

　　2. The unique fermentation process and production technique allow the walnut flatbread to be stored for a relatively long time. Even in summer, it can be kept for over 20 days without any change in color, aroma, or taste, something other foods cannot achieve.