Persimmon Paste Pancakes

Persimmon Paste Pancakes

　　A traditional Xi’an street snack made primarily from persimmons and flour. Persimmons are hailed as “the sweetest golden fruit,” native to China with a cultivation history of about 2,500 years. The earliest written record of them can be found in the Book of Rites.

　　Preparation: Remove the stems and peel soft persimmons, then place them in a large ceramic basin. Mash them into a paste using a rolling pin, then add flour and stir vigorously to form a persimmon-flour batter. Heat rapeseed oil in a flat iron pan over high heat until it reaches about 70% of its boiling point. First, with your left hand, dip the batter mold (a round iron mold with a vertical handle) into the hot oil, coat it with oil, then take it out. With your right hand, use an iron spatula to scoop the persimmon batter into the mold, spread it evenly, and fry it in the oil for about 3 minutes. Gently shake the mold to release the pancake so it floats up, then flip it over and fry the other side for another 3 minutes, or until both sides are evenly golden brown.

　　Features: Persimmons are highly nutritious, rich in sugar, protein, fat, various vitamins, and minerals, with a notably high sugar content. As noted by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty’s Compendium of Materia Medica:

　　He decreed: “The persimmon is a fruit that benefits the spleen, lungs, and blood. Its taste is sweet and nature mild, yet it has an astringent quality that helps consolidate. Thus, it functions to strengthen the spleen, astringe the intestines, treat coughs, and stop bleeding.”