Quzhou style moon cakes, as a special Mid-Autumn Festival food in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, have profound cultural heritage and unique flavor. The following is a detailed introduction to Qu style mooncakes:
1、 Origin and Development:
1. The origin of Quzhou style mooncakes (also known as Quzhou sesame cakes) can be traced back to before the Tang Dynasty and has a history of over a thousand years.
2. Initially, sesame was introduced to the Central Plains from the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. It was called "Hu Ma" during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and cakes made from it were called "Hu Ma Bing".
3. The Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi once wrote a poem praising sesame cakes, namely "Sending Hu Cakes to Yang Wanzhou", indicating that the history of sesame cakes can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty.
2、 Features and raw materials:
1. The main ingredient of Qu style mooncakes is sesame, so their taste is crispy, fragrant, and delicious, with a strong sesame flavor.
2. In addition to sesame, making Qu style mooncakes also involves other ingredients such as flour, vegetable oil, sugar powder, salt, water, etc. (used for making cake skins), as well as lotus seed, walnuts, peanuts, sugar, etc. (used for making fillings).
3、 Main representatives:
The main representatives of Qu style mooncakes are "Du Ze Osmanthus Mooncake" and "Shao Yongfeng Ma Cake", which have a high reputation in the local area.
4、 Cultural connotation:
1. Qu style mooncakes occupy an important position in Quzhou's food culture, and are the main selection, distribution, and gift of cakes for red and white celebrations such as moon appreciation, marriage, sacrifice, longevity, Shangliang, and ancestral halls, with rich cultural connotations.
2. For example, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, people often regard sesame cakes as their first choice when they enjoy the moon and get together; When building beams for wedding banquets and celebrations, hemp cakes are chosen as "wedding cakes"; In engagement gifts, sesame cakes are also essential.
5、 Production process:
1. The production process of Qu style mooncakes includes steps such as making the dough, cooking the filling, and wrapping, which require certain craftsmanship and craftsmanship.
2. During the production process, it is necessary to mix flour, sugar powder, and salt, add vegetable oil and water, and stir to form a dough. After letting it stand, roll it out into thin slices; For the filling, stir fry the walnuts and peanuts until cooked, grind them into powder, add sugar and water, and stir well.
3. Next, wrap the filling into the pastry crust, wrap it into a circular mooncake, and then bake it until the surface turns golden yellow.
6、 Preservation and consumption:
1. Baked mooncakes need to be naturally cooled before being placed in a sealed jar and stored in a cool and dry place.
2. As a special food of Mid-Autumn Festival, Qu style moon cakes not only have a unique taste, but also carry rich cultural connotation and emotional memory.
In short, as a characteristic food of Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, Quzhou style mooncakes not only have a long history and unique production techniques, but also carry rich cultural connotations and emotional memories. On this special day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, tasting a piece of Quzhou style moon cake can not only feel its crisp and delicious taste, but also feel the deep feeling of homesickness and reunion.