Jinhua shortbread

Jinhua Shortbread, also known asJinhua Crispy CakeandJinhua Shortcake, is a traditional snack inJinhuaCity,ZhejiangProvince,China.
Jinhua shortbread is made with white flour, dried potherb mustard, fatty meat, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, caramel, and honey. The dough is rolled into a cake the size of a crab shell, then stuffed with dried vegetables and meat. It is then baked until golden on both sides. Afterwards, it is covered with sesame seeds. There are more than ten thin, transparent layers on the top and bottom.
Jinhua shortbread was first seen in "Zhongzulu" written by Wu clan inPujiang County, Zhejiang,Wuzhou, SouthernSong dynasty.It is recorded that the shortbread was filled with honey, which is slightly different from today's fillings. Jinhua shortbread cookies were developed in the 1980s.After continuous improvement in technology, additional variations were successfully developed including ham shortbread, beef shortbread, sweet shortbread, spicy shortbread, double hemp shortbread, ginger wean shortbread, braised pork and red bean paste shortbread.Further changes include the transition from charcoal baking to far-infrared oven baking, and the original paper packaging was replaced by a non-toxic polyethylene bag. In recent years, Jinhua shortbread won recognition as Provincial Excellent Product. Jinhua shortbread shops can be seen everywhere inJinhua. More than 40 large-scale shortbread manufacturers operate in Jinhua City, with a daily output of 60,000 pieces. Manufacturers have established production and sales relationships with more than 20 cities across the country.
Legend has it that the original creator of Jinhua shortbread wasCheng Yaojin, known as the "Hunshi Devil". Cheng Yaojin, one of the 24 founding fathers of theTang dynasty, made a living selling biscuits inJinhuain his early years.Once, he made too many sesame seed biscuits, and they did not sell out. He saved the pie and prepared to continue selling it the next day. However, if the biscuits went bad, they could not be sold. In order to prevent the biscuits from going bad, Cheng Yaojin placed all the biscuits on the side of the stove. He wanted to keep the fire going to prevent the biscuits from going bad. The next day he found that the oil in the biscuits had been roasted, and the crust became more oily and crispy, and it became a shortbread. When the customers saw that Cheng Yaojin's cake was very different from before, they all rushed to taste it. Cheng Yaojin was very happy, and shouted: "Come on! Sweet and crispy shortbread!" The popularity of this new snack prompted some biscuits shop owners even asked Cheng Yaojin for the "secret recipe." Cheng Yaojin laughed loudly and said, "I don't have any secret recipe!"
The shortbread cakes were as round as a teacup, shaped like crab shells, had a golden color and sesame seeds on both sides, and had the aroma of dried vegetable and meat fillings. Later, Cheng Yaojin participated in the peasant uprising at the end of theSui dynasty, became the owner of the village in Wagangzhai, and then became a founding father of the Tang dynasty. After he became famous, he still could not forget his early career in selling cakes and highly recommended the snack. Jin Hua Su Bing has become widely known. Since him, the practice has passed down from generation to generation, and it eventually became a well-known traditional specialty.
It is rumored that after theMing dynastyZhu Yuanzhangconquered Jinhua, he andLiu Bowentasted shortbread in Wuzhou Mingyuelou. During theTaiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Jinhua people used shortbread to comfort King Li who had repeatedly defeated theQingarmy.
The traditional Jinhua shortbread are baked in a large wooden barrel. Nowadays, it is more common to use an oven.
Jinhua shortbread production is separated into five stages:
Jinhua shortbread is characterized by crispy skin and a strange smell but not greasy flesh.It typically features a golden yellow color, clear layers, and oily but not greasy feel, and a crisp texture.