Fuping Empress Dowager Cake

Fuping Empress Dowager Cake

　　Fuping Empress Dowager Cake has a long history, originating during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (180–157 BC). Legend has it that when Emperor Wen Liu Heng established his capital in Chang’an (present-day Xi'an), his maternal grandmother, Lady Lingwenhou, built a garden in what was then Huaidi County (now Huaiyangcheng in Huazhu Township, Fuping County, Shaanxi Province), where she resided. Emperor Wen’s mother, Empress Dowager Bo, often traveled from Chang’an to visit her mother. The imperial chefs who accompanied her passed on their baking techniques to the local villagers. From then on, the imperial-style baked cake took root among the people, hence the name “Empress Dowager Cake.” For over two thousand years, this baking technique has been passed down through generations and continues to this day, becoming a renowned local specialty.

　　The making of Fuping Empress Dowager Cake primarily uses high-quality white flour and pork lard, and involves four main steps: preparing the lard paste, kneading the dough, shaping the dough, and baking. The lard is skinned and cubed, then pounded into a paste using the back of a knife. While pounding, a seasoning water (made by boiling star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, and cinnamon) and fine salt are added in portions. The kneaded dough is divided into several portions, flattened by hand, and then stretched into an oval sheet about 0.6 cm thick on the work surface. A layer of lard paste is spread on top, then the sheet is rolled into a strip about 6 cm long, flattened by hand, folded into three layers, rolled and pressed again into a 6 cm strip, and then cut into pieces weighing about 100 grams each. Each piece is rotated vertically in the hand and flattened into a round cake about 6 cm in diameter to form the dough puck. A layer of honey dissolved in water is brushed on top of the dough puck, which is then placed in the bottom of a three-tiered pan (the pan is coated with vegetable oil) and baked until golden brown.

　　“Empress Dowager Cake” is a traditional snack from Fuping County in Shaanxi Province, with a history of over 2,000 years.