Lintong Persimmon Fritters

Lintong Persimmon Fritters

　　  Persimmon Fritters – Aside from being eaten fresh, Huojing persimmons can be made into various dishes, and these persimmon fritters are one particularly distinctive variety. Some people mistake “persimmon fritters” for persimmon cakes. Actually, they’re not the same. As previously mentioned, persimmon cakes are one thing, but persimmon fritters have their own unique charm. The skin and stem of the Huojing persimmon are removed, then the fruit is mashed in a basin to form a paste, flour is added, and a persimmon batter is made. A spatula is used to spread the batter into specially made handheld molds (made of iron sheet, concave on the outside and convex in the middle, with edges about 2 cm high), which are then placed in a wok of hot oil to fry. When the batter is about 50% cooked, it naturally detaches from the mold and floats. Then it is flipped and fried again, repeating this process several times until both sides are evenly browned before serving. The fritters fried in Lintong are the best – they have a lovely golden color and a crispy, sweet taste when eaten.

　　  The fritters fried in Lintong are the tastiest, and the frying area is often crowded with people, but many buyers find it hard to take a bite. The golden color is just too appealing, and once they put it in their mouth, they hesitate to chew thoroughly, instead swallowing half of it whole – which sometimes leads to burnt tongues.