Sachima

Sachima

　　    Sachima

　　    Sachima is a Manchu snack. Legend has it that it originated from a Manchu general surnamed Sa who loved horseback riding and served in Guangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. He always enjoyed having sweets before going hunting. One day, as Sa was about to go out hunting, he said to the chef, “Today’s sweet must be something new—no more just stamping out the same old sand cakes every day. Otherwise, you might as well pack up and go home!” Hearing this, the chef who was in charge of making the sweets accidentally fried the egg-coated dough pieces until they broke apart. Just then, the general came back asking for the sweets. With no other choice, the chef mixed the broken dough with white sugar, kneaded it together, flattened it, and cut it into squares. Thinking he had ruined the dish and would surely lose his job, he muttered, “Kill that horse-riding one!” (which was later mistakenly written as “Sachima”)