Birch Leaf Cakes

Birch Leaf Cakes

　　Birch Leaf Cakes are a traditional Manchu food. The Manchu people in Dandong have a special fondness for this dish. Typically, during the fourth or fifth lunar month, they head up the mountains to gather tender and large birch leaves, which are then brought home, washed, and set aside. Sticky rice or millet is soaked in water for several days, ground into flour, rolled into thin pancakes, and cooked. These are then filled with mashed red beans that have been boiled until soft, wrapped inside, and the inner side of the birch leaf is coated with a layer of oil before being wrapped around the outside. After steaming, the leaves are removed before eating. The cakes carry a faint fragrance of oak leaves and have a distinctive and enjoyable flavor.

　　Preparation Method:

　　　　Typically, during the fourth or fifth lunar month, people go up the mountains to gather tender and large birch leaves, which are then brought home, washed, and set aside. Sticky rice or millet is soaked in water for several days, ground into flour, rolled into thin pancakes, and cooked. These are then filled with mashed red beans that have been boiled until soft, wrapped inside, and the inner side of the birch leaf is coated with a layer of oil before being wrapped around the outside. After steaming, the leaves are removed before eating. Another method is to soak sorghum or corn grits, grind them into flour, and mix into a paste-like consistency. This paste is then spread on the front side of the birch leaf, which is then used to wrap fillings such as chopped fresh seasonal vegetables like Chinese chives, green beans, or cowpeas. After steaming, the leaves are removed before eating. The Birch Leaf Cakes carry a faint fragrance of oak leaves and have a distinctive and enjoyable flavor.

　　　　Legend has it that the ancestors of the Manchu people originally made a living by hunting. When hunting yields were insufficient to stave off hunger, they also gathered acorns from oak trees to eat. At the time, they referred to oak trees as “Bolu trees” and the acorns as “Bolu.” Later, as wild animals in the mountains became increasingly scarce and hunting grew more difficult, the ancestors of the Manchu people gradually learned farming, following the ways of the Han Chinese.

　　　　However, in the early stages of transitioning from a hunting lifestyle to an agricultural one, the Manchu people’s stomachs often felt unwell after switching from eating wild game to grains and cereals. Particularly in summer, they frequently suffered from diarrhea. Once diarrhea set in, they would feel weak all over—not just unable to hunt in the mountains, but even unfit for farm work. As a result, fields lay fallow and people grew gaunt. It seemed as if the entire tribe was on the brink of collapse, yet no one had any solutions. In their utmost desperation and with no way out, one night, everyone had the same dream: a beautiful woman claiming to be the third eldest of the Queen Mother of the West’s seven fairies repeatedly told them, “Do not forget the old Bolu.” No one could remember how many times she said it. After the fairy ascended to heaven, everyone woke up. The next day, when people shared their dreams from the night before, they all found it strange. What did “old Bolu” mean? No one could explain it. They had the same dream for three consecutive days. Although everyone sensed that the fairy was trying to guide them, the meaning remained elusive, causing great distress. On the fourth day, the entire tribe gathered to discuss what the dream might signify. Everyone shared various interpretations, but none reached a satisfying conclusion. Finally, an elderly man with a long white beard cleared his throat and said slowly: “I believe the fairy is trying to save us. Now we call our grains ‘Bolu,’ but our ancestors used to refer to oak trees as ‘Bolu trees’ and acorns as ‘Bolu.’ The fairy telling us not to forget the ‘old Bolu’—could it mean that to cure our diarrhea, we should use oak trees? But acorns don’t taste good, so maybe we should try wrapping our cakes with ‘Bolu leaves’ and see if that works.” The tribe found the elder’s reasoning sensible, so they sent someone to gather some birch leaves, wrapped the cakes with them, and steamed them. After eating them for a few days, their diarrhea gradually improved. From then on, Birch Leaf Cakes became a beloved food among the Manchu people. To show gratitude for the fairy’s guidance, they also made various types of Birch Leaf Cakes as offerings to her.