Chinanews.com, Wenzhou, February 21 (Zhang Yicong) Early in the morning, the smoke from the Wang Family Courtyard in Efang Village, Yongxing Street, Longwan District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province curled up. The memories of Longwan linger in between.
"When I was a child, I grew up eating nine-layer cakes made at home, and I learned it naturally." Tao Chengju said that as the daughter-in-law of the Wang Family Courtyard, she is 69 years old and has been making nine-layer cakes for more than 40 years. Many people have tasted her Because of her craftsmanship, the locals affectionately call her Grandma Tao.
Nine-layer cake, also known as nine-layer cake, thousand-layer cake, Zhongyuan cake, etc.
The authentic nine-layer cake is soft and delicious, tough but not greasy, suitable for all ages. It is a long-standing Wenzhou snack.
According to Grandma Tao, as the name suggests, the nine-layer cake consists of nine layers, which are made through processes such as soaking, draining, mixing, cooking, cooling, and cutting.
"When making it, use a spoon to scoop up an appropriate amount of rice milk and spread it evenly on the sieve, then cover the pot and cook it, wait until the rice milk is cooked, then start pouring the second layer of rice milk, and repeat this until the ninth layer of rice milk is cooked. Through," she said.
The steamed nine-layer cake is carefully taken out, let cool, and "cut" into long strips with yarn, and then divided into small diamond-shaped pieces, and you're done.
"Come and eat the nine-layer cake." Following Grandma Tao's cry, the children quickly gathered in a circle, watching helplessly as Grandma Tao divided the nine-layer cake one by one.
The pastry tastes delicious, and it becomes a little sweet for children. For Grandma Tao, this craftsmanship and sweetness are all memories of the past.
Aunt Tao made a nine-layer cake. Photo courtesy of Zhang Chongyu
"Nine-layer cakes have the meaning of longevity and rising every step of the way. The red beans sprinkled on top imply that life is prosperous and sweet." Tao Apo said that in Yongzhong and Yongxing areas of Longwan, nine-layer cakes have been given to people since ancient times. The custom of marrying a daughter represents the good wishes of the mother's family for the daughter's happy life.
Therefore, for the woman who inherited the craftsmanship of the nine-layer cake, the old mother at this time was also the new daughter-in-law at the time. It has been passed down from generation to generation, and the nine-layer cake has become a memory that retains time and time.
Since the nine-layer cake making process was successfully declared as Wenzhou's intangible cultural heritage, Grandma Tao was often invited to participate in various activities. The nine-layer cake she made attracted many merchants, and many people came here to customize it, just to taste a foreign country. Freshness, or hometown memories.
"If someone is willing to learn, I would be happy to contribute to the inheritance of this craft." Grandma Tao said frankly that the nine-layer cake making process is complicated. Nowadays, few people have mastered this skill. Therefore, she hopes that this ancestral craft can Someone passed it on.
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