Wu'an Persimmon Cake [Hebei Wu'an Specialty]

1. Persimmon cakes can effectively supplement nutrients and intracellular fluids in the human body, playing a role in moistening the lungs and generating fluids

2. Persimmon cakes contain a large amount of vitamins and iodine, which can treat endemic goiter caused by iodine deficiency

3. The organic acids in persimmon cakes help with gastrointestinal digestion, increase appetite, and have the effect of astringent and antidiarrheal

4. Persimmon cakes can help lower blood pressure, soften blood vessels, increase coronary artery flow, and promote blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve cardiovascular function

Wu'an persimmon cakes are gray white in color, with a golden translucent gelatinous cross-section, soft, and sweet

Method of making Wu'an persimmon cakes

Natural drying method

1. Fruit selection: Select fully ripe, hard flesh, upright fruit shape, flat or slightly raised fruit top, no longitudinal grooves, high sugar content, few or no seeds varieties. Remove mechanical injuries and insect fruits

2. Peeling: Currently, most foot operated semi-automatic peeling machines are used. Rotate the fruit peel in a circular motion and remove it. The peeling should be clean, and the peeling should be thin and even. In earlier years, people peeled their skin manually

3. Sunbathing: Choose a place with sufficient sunlight, good air circulation, and clean hygiene. Use wooden sticks or bricks to build a frame, with a height of 0.8-1 meters, and lay a layer of dried persimmon leaves on top. Place the peeled persimmon fruits on the top of the frame, and place a single layer on the foil to expose to the sun. Cover them with a mat at night to prevent dew and rain. After about 10 days, the fruit flesh will shrink and the top of the fruit will sink. Perform the first flipping, and then flip it every 3-4 days. Pinch the persimmon cakes at the same time every time. When pinching the persimmon cakes for the second time, the outside will be hard and the inside will be soft. If there is no sweating after softening, then apply frost and it will be better. In rural areas, it is generally placed in a dustpan, which is placed on a high place such as a roof with good ventilation. Generally speaking, persimmon cakes require gentle sunlight to slowly dry

4. Frosting: Align the top of the two cakes with the calyx outward, place a layer of dried persimmon skin and another layer of persimmon cakes in a jar, repeat stacking until the jar is full, then seal the jar and place it in a cool and shady place to frost. The frosting on persimmon cakes is related to the ambient temperature, and the lower the temperature, the better the frosting. Therefore, the jar should be placed in a cool and shady place

Tasting and Eating Methods of Wu'an Persimmons

Persimmons can be made into persimmon juice:

Ingredients: 50g ginger, 20g cinnamon, 2/3 cup white sugar, 8 persimmons, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 7 cups of water

Preparation: Add white sugar, washed persimmons, and whole cinnamon to warm water after boiling ginger, and let the persimmons ferment. It is a refreshing drink with the sweet and spicy taste of persimmons and cinnamon. The astringent ingredients in persimmon cakes have a astringent effect and can stop diarrhea

1. Peel the ginger and cut it thinly

2. Put ginger in 4 cups of water and simmer over low heat, then add cinnamon

3. Take ginger and cinnamon, add white sugar and boil for a while

4. Remove the dried persimmon stems appropriately, remove the seeds, and make them into a flattened circle<5. While the soup is mild, soak the persimmon cakes for about 3 hours until they become soft, then put them in a hot bowl and sprinkle 3-4 pine nuts on top