[Explanation] In Laibin City, Guangxi in May, on the dark streets in the middle of the night, only the storefront of Jiang Yiwen, a family member of overseas Chinese, was still lit. She was making Indonesian-style egg rolls.
I saw her hands "dance" in the steaming pot, and her swift figure shuttled in front of the four pots. With the skillful flipping of the lid and rolling, the steaming egg rolls were freshly baked.
[Commentary] Jiang Yiwen's mother used to live in Indonesia. She returned to China in the 1960s and settled in Guangxi Laibin Overseas Chinese Farm.
During Chinese New Year and festivals, every household of overseas Chinese farms will make Southeast Asian delicacies.
She grew up eating special Indonesian pastries made by her mother.
Jiang Yiwen said that pastries are traditional delicacies of returned overseas Chinese, which retain the sweetest memories of returning overseas Chinese as their children.
14 years ago, Jiang Yiwen, who inherited his mother's craftsmanship, decided to start his business with cakes.
[Same period] Jiang Yiwen, a relative of overseas Chinese in Indonesia
(When I was a child) I went to find the lid of the old paint bucket, the top layer of the lid, the kind of big bucket, similar to the gasoline can, after the lid cut it open, put it through the ears on both sides, and then a wire Just go around like this, put charcoal on it, then take a pot head, put sand, put river sand in it, put sand, and then put the cakes we made, squeeze them on a round baking pan, and put them into the pot It is baked inside, and there is charcoal under the pot head, which is troublesome but very fragrant.
[Commentary] In order to obtain the best ingredients and make the most authentic Indonesian flavors, Jiang Yiwen went to Indonesia six times, and with the help of his relatives, "learned" local authentic delicacies.
She also bought a large number of pastry molds in Indonesia, resulting in overweight luggage when she returned by flight, and had to pay an extra thousand yuan.
[Same period] Jiang Yiwen, a relative of overseas Chinese in Indonesia
Because I have been to Indonesia 6 times, every day I am looking for those small vendors or well-known pastry shops, I think it is a success after eating and wanting to eat it, usually I stay for about a week, Every day is on the way to eat food, on the way to taste food, and there is no time to look back, so those beautiful scenery don’t matter to me, because I love this food too much.
[Explanation] On the basis of following traditional practices, in order to gain more public acceptance and love, Jiang Yiwen also conducts innovative research and development on cakes.
Taking the most representative Indonesian nine-layer cake as an example, she created new flavors such as chocolate, durian and rose.
Because of his long-term dedication to making cakes, Jiang Yiwen suffered from many "occupational diseases"-the fingerprints of his ten fingers were almost flattened, and there were obvious burn marks on his hands.
[Same period] Jiang Yiwen, a relative of overseas Chinese in Indonesia
There are almost no fingerprints on my ten fingers now, and now my hands are covered with injuries. The scars on my hands are always the kind that never stop. I went to the bank to have my fingerprints recorded for an hour and couldn't get them out.
[Explanation] From setting up a roadside stall, to owning his own store, and then expanding the store to two floors, through word of mouth of diners, Jiang Yiwen's cakes are not only gradually popular in the local area, but also attracted overseas Chinese from all over the world. Come.
She has also become a well-known pastry chef in several returned overseas Chinese WeChat groups.
Jiang Yiwen told reporters that it was precisely because of the harsh conditions as a child that the cakes he ate were extraordinarily sweet and unforgettable.
[Explanation] In Jiang Yiwen's view, a small cake not only conveys sweetness, but also a testimony to the customs and culture of overseas Chinese, and it also represents the tenacity and optimism of returned overseas Chinese.
Chen Yanyou, Huang Lingyan, Wang Yi, guest report from Guangxi
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]