Bean Flour Cake

Bean Flour Cake

　　   Bean Flour Cake, also known as Donkey Rolling in the Dust, is one of the ancient varieties of Beijing snacks. Its ingredients include yellow millet flour steamed with water, and the dough is made slightly softer by adding a bit more water. Separately, roasted soybeans are ground into powder. During preparation, the steamed and yellowed millet flour is coated on the outside with soybean powder, rolled into a sheet, then spread with red bean paste (or brown sugar), rolled up, cut into small pieces of about 100 grams, and sprinkled with white sugar to finish. The preparation requires the filling to be evenly rolled, with distinct layers, a yellow exterior, and features a flavor that is fragrant, sweet, and sticky, with a rich aroma of roasted soybean powder.

Bean Flour Cake primarily uses soybean flour as its main ingredient, hence the name "Bean Flour Cake." But why is it also called "Donkey Rolling in the Dust"? It seems to be a vivid metaphor — after being made, the cake is rolled in soybean flour, resembling a donkey rolling in the dirt in the wild, kicking up dust, which is how it got its name. Even earlier writers have questioned this. In *Miscellaneous Poems on Small Snacks of Yan Capital*, it says: “Red bean paste filling artfully arranged, yellow dough formed with beans enclosed. Why all the fuss over ‘Donkey Rolling in the Dust’? The name is rather playful.” It also states: “Roast glutinous rice mixed with soybeans, steamed, and wrapped with red bean paste filling, then rolled in fried soybean flour and served on a plate — calling it ‘Donkey Rolling in the Dust’ is truly an oddly named treat.” It’s clear that the name “Donkey Rolling in the Dust” has become an established term. Nowadays, many people only know the nickname or common name but not its formal title. Currently, various snack shops offer it year-round, but most no longer use yellow millet flour, instead substituting it with glutinous rice flour. Because it is still coated with soybean powder on the outside, its color remains yellow, making it a highly beloved snack among the public.