Min Cake

Min Cake

　　Min Cake, also known as Tou Cake, is a renowned traditional pastry and a specialty of "Bentangzhai" in Minjiawan, Tongli, Suzhou. With a history of over four hundred years, it is made exclusively by the Min family, whose craftsmanship has been passed down through generations—hence the name "Min Cake." Originally, Min Cake was an ordinary homemade snack among rural families in the Jiangnan region, with a history of at least five hundred years. The ingredients and preparation method of Tongli Min Cake are unique, featuring a dark bluish-green color, glossy and fine texture, a fragrant taste, and a sweet yet not greasy chew. Even after more than half a month, its flavor remains unchanged.

　　To make Min Cake, first, Min grass (scientifically known as Boehmeria nivea, also called Tianqingdi Bai grass) is crushed into juice using lime, then mixed with glutinous rice flour to form the dough. The filling consists of red bean paste, peach kernels, pine nuts, and sugar-coated lard cubes, shaped like a mooncake and steamed. Min grass is sweet, cool in nature, and non-toxic, containing components such as coffee tannic acid, carotene, protein, and sugars, and is valued for its medicinal benefits including clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing inflammation and stopping bleeding, and calming the fetus. Min Cake is made by kneading "Min grass" into the glutinous rice flour for the dough, with red bean paste and crushed walnuts as the filling, and is steamed to completion. It is a type of Qingtuan (green rice ball), characterized by its dark bluish-green color, glossy and tightly packed texture, rich but not greasy mouthfeel, fragrant and smooth stickiness, and a distinctive Jiangnan farmhouse flavor. During the Qing Dynasty, Min Cake was once listed as a tribute to the imperial court and was selected to be served to Empress Dowager Cixi. The Ming Dynasty painter Shen Zhou once wrote a poem in its praise: “Fragrant rounds molded from molds, soft green steam-risen. Female artistry rivals Zheng’s thin silk, male banquets outshine Tang brocades.” In the early years of the Republic of China, the Min family established the "Dafugui Min Cake Company" in Shanghai, and their products were exported both domestically and abroad.