Wuxi---【Huishan Pastry】
Thread Content
Huisan oil crisp was originally called heavy-oil baked cake, and is also known as Vajra Navel； It is a traditional Han Chinese delicacy from Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is said that during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Zhu Shengyu, a member of the Ming royal family, came to the foot of Huishan in Wuxi and faced difficulties in making a living at that time. One day, Zhu Shengyu walked into the ancient Huashan Gate; his gaze accidentally fell on the navels of the Four Great Vajras, who were bare-chested. He suddenly remembered that there was a type of thickly fried pastry in the palace, shaped just like the navels of those Vajras. Inspired by this, they decided to make a living by creating such palace delicacies, naming them “Vajra Navel”. Huishan fried dough is made by mixing high-quality all-purpose flour with soybean oil, filling it with a pepper-and-salt filling, and then topping it with sesame seeds. Its characteristics are a pleasant aroma, richness, a vegetarian flavor, crispness, and a moderate sweetness.
Ingredients:
For the crust: 45 kilograms of special flour, 15 kilograms of granulated sugar, 18 kilograms of vegetable oil, 0.4 kilograms of baking soda.
For the filling: 5 kilograms of special flour, 3 kilograms of granulated sugar, 3 kilograms of vegetable oil, 1 kilogram of walnut kernels, 2 kilograms of red and green melons, 2 kilograms of orange cake, 1 kilogram of dried plums, 1 kilogram of osmanthus flowers, 0.5 kilograms of fine salt.
For the topping: 10 kilograms of white sesame seeds
For the crust: 45 kilograms of special flour, 15 kilograms of granulated sugar, 18 kilograms of vegetable oil, 0.4 kilograms of baking soda.
For the filling: 5 kilograms of special flour, 3 kilograms of granulated sugar, 3 kilograms of vegetable oil, 1 kilogram of walnut kernels, 2 kilograms of red and green melons, 2 kilograms of orange cake, 1 kilogram of dried plums, 1 kilogram of osmanthus flowers, 0.5 kilograms of fine salt.
For the topping: 10 kilograms of white sesame seeds
Production Method Edit 1. Material selection: Use fresh ingredients as specified in the recipe; granulated sugar should be filtered through a 20-mesh sieve, while fruit ingredients should have impurities removed and be cut into small pieces. 2. Ingredients: Add the ingredients according to the names and quantities specified in the recipe. 3. Kneading the dough: Add about 4 kilograms of warm water to the leather material (reduce the amount in hot weather and increase it in cold weather); after mixing well, add flour and knead thoroughly to form a dough. 4. Mix the filling well and spread it evenly. 5. Cutting into pieces: Flatten the leather dough and cut it into small pieces measuring 1.5 cm on each side. 6. Wrapping: Evenly wrap the filling around each small piece. 7. Soaking the sesame: Place white sesame seeds in a bucket, pour boiling water over them until they are covered, soak for 5 minutes, then strain out the excess water and set aside for use. 8. Coating with sesame: First, place the dough pieces filled with filling into the tray of the sesame-coating machine. Start or pull the tray, and gradually add the soaked sesame seeds. After they are evenly coated, run the machine for another minute. 9. Arrangement: Place the raw pieces with the hemp already applied on them one by one on an iron tray, leaving a gap of about 2 centimeters between each piece. 10. Baking: Bake in an oven with a temperature of around 240°C for about 8 minutes, until it turns brownish-yellow, then remove it from the oven. 11. Cooling and packaging: After being taken out of the oven, wait for it to cool naturally to room temperature before packaging it.
Specs weight: 90–100 pieces per kilogram. Moisture: 6–10%. Color: The bottom and surface are brownish-yellow or golden-yellow. Shape: Hemispherical. Interior: Filling is located in the center, with the crust featuring uniform tiny pores. Flavor: Sweet and delicious; the vegetable oil is rich but not greasy, with no unusual taste. Impurities: No sesame shells, no impurities.
It has sesame seeds; it’s crispy and I absolutely love it
Once a delicacy of the palace, an excellent snack
My favorite from childhood; I haven’t eaten it in many years.
The Ming Dynasty was truly a great dynasty; its emperors were all quite peculiar – some launched revolutions, some worked as carpenters, some engaged in sibling relationships, some sought spiritual cultivation, and then there was one who became a chef