Honey-Glazed Bee Cake

Honey-Glazed Bee Cake

　　Honey-Glazed Bee Cake is one of Xuzhou’s renowned specialty pastries. It can be eaten directly or prepared by dissolving in hot water, serving as a nourishing tonic that helps relieve coughs and moisten the lungs—especially favored by the elderly. This product is recognized by China's Ministry of Commerce as a "Time-Honored Chinese Brand" and is a celebrated local specialty from Xuzhou. Made using traditional craftsmanship and uniquely selected ingredients, the manufacturing company has been awarded the title of "Designated Halal Food Production Unit" by the Jiangsu Provincial Ethnic Affairs Commission.

　　Legend has it that during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jianfeng, the Minister of Rites and military governor of Wuning District in Xuzhou, had a favored concubine named Guan Panpan. She excelled in cooking, needlework, music, and dance. In particular, Guan Panpan was skilled at making a honey-glazed bee cake using wheat gluten, honey, sesame oil, and various fruits as daily sustenance to preserve her youthful beauty and captivating charm, which greatly delighted Minister Zhang. He even commissioned a special building for her called the "Swallow Tower." After Zhang Jianfeng passed away, Guan Panpan lived alone in the Swallow Tower for over a decade, devoting herself to prayer and scripture. Her maid passed down the recipe for the honey-glazed bee cake to the public, and the people of Xuzhou eagerly replicated it, turning it into a renowned delicacy. The version produced by Tai Kang Halal Food Store on Pengcheng Road in downtown Xuzhou became especially famous. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, literary figures such as Bai Juyi, Su Dongpo, and Wen Tianxiang have visited the "Swallow Tower" in Xuzhou and composed famous poems in its honor, further enhancing the tower’s fame. As a result, the Honey-Glazed Bee Cake has remained a cherished specialty for thousands of years and is ranked first among the Eight Famous Pastries of the ancient city of Xuzhou.