Wansan Cake

Wansan Cake

　　Wansan Cake, a specialty of Zhouzhuang, has a history of several hundred years. The Zou family in the town has inherited the ancestral business, producing a variety of cakes. Thanks to their premium ingredients, diverse varieties, thin slices, smooth and glutinous texture, and melt-in-the-mouth feel, they are highly favored by consumers. The Zou family’s ancestors established the Gongmao Tea Snack Workshop as early as the early Ming Dynasty. During festivals, their wealthy neighbor Shen Wansan would often order large quantities of cakes to give as gifts and serve to relatives and friends, which later came to be known as “Wansan Cake.” The Zou family’s tea snack workshop subsequently gained fame.

After the reform and opening-up, Zhouzhuang vigorously developed tourism, and Wansan Cake became a traditional tourist food. The production has become increasingly refined. Continuous innovations have been made in terms of ingredient selection, craftsmanship, and quality standards. Nowadays, in addition to the traditional Wansan Cake and Quanfu Tribute Crisp, a variety of over 20 seasonal cake series are produced to cater to different customer preferences, including Sesame Cake, Peanut Cake, Walnut Cake, Jade Ribbon Cake, Mint Cake, Salt and Pepper Cake, Pine Nut Cake, Fragrant Baked Cake, Thousand-Layer Cake, and Step-by-Step Cake. The rice used is premium long-grain glutinous rice, which is roasted, ground, and then mixed with ingredients according to an ancestral recipe. After shaping, the cakes are steamed or baked with precise heat control and hand-cut. From ingredient preparation to final packaging, there are eight meticulous steps. Wansan Cake is especially suitable for the elderly and children and has now become an ideal snack for tourists.