Qiaoguo (Skillful Pastry)

Qiaoguo

　　Qiaoguo is a traditional product among Shanghai-style pastries. The shape of the “seven skills” is often described in folklore as “twisting and turning in seven or eight ways.” In rural areas of Shanghai’s suburbs, there is a custom where newlywed women bring some qiaoguo back from their maternal homes to give to their husbands when they visit on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month (commonly known as Qiao Day). Therefore, every year around the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the peak production season for qiaoguo.

　　 Ingredients: 50 kg of standard flour, 6 kg of indica rice flour, 1 kg of black sesame seeds, 15 kg of brown sugar, 24 kg of vegetable oil

　　 Production method:

　　 1. Dough making: First, add sugar and black sesame seeds along with an appropriate amount of water into the dough mixer and stir evenly, then add standard flour to form the dough.

　　 2. Forming: Roll the dough into thin sheets using a rolling pin, fold them, cut into diamond-shaped pieces, and make cuts in the middle of the raw pieces with a knife to facilitate bending and deformation during frying.

　　 3. Frying: Pay attention to the oil temperature during frying; it should not be too high to prevent burning. Generally, maintain a temperature of 160–180°C. When the raw pieces are first added to the pan, do not stir. Once they float to the surface, slowly stir them, and when they turn golden yellow, remove them and let them cool to finish.

　　 Quality standards:

　　 Shape: Diamond-shaped small pieces with uniform thickness.

　　 Color: Golden yellow surface, glossy, without any raw flour.

　　 Taste: Crispy texture upon biting, with a fragrant sesame aroma.