Xingyang Persimmon Cake [Henan Xingyang Specialty]

What is Xingyang persimmon cake? Authentic Henan Xingyang specialty: Xingyang persimmon cakes

Content summary:Do you want to know what Xingyang persimmon cakes are? This article is a detailed introduction to the special product of Xingyang, Henan Province - Xingyang Persimmon Cake. It was compiled and edited by the editorial team of China Specialty Network after reviewing and collecting relevant information on Xingyang Persimmon Cake. The full text takes about 10 minutes to read, mainly including the basic introduction of Xingyang Persimmon Cake and its nutritional value? What are the product characteristics of Xingyang persimmon cakes? How did the history of Xingyang persimmon cakes come about? The production method of Xingyang persimmon cakes and the awards and honors of Xingyang persimmon cakes

Basic Introduction to Xingyang Persimmon Cake

Xingyang Persimmon Cake is a traditional Han Chinese delicacy in Zhengzhou City.

. The sweetness is long-lasting, mixed with walnut kernels or peanuts, and when chewed, it has a sweet and fragrant taste, with a unique flavor. Made from the fruit of the persimmon plant (persimmon) in the persimmon family, without any additives. Xingyang is blessed with unique water and soil conditions, and its persimmons are made into persimmon cakes, which are rich in meat, thick in frost, sweet in taste, and of excellent quality. Therefore, it is known as "persimmon frost cakes are unique to Xingyang"

What are the nutritional values of Xingyang persimmon cakes

Persimmon cakes are sweet, moist, non-toxic, nourishing the heart and lungs, relieving cough and phlegm, clearing heat and thirst, strengthening the spleen and astringent intestines. Fresh persimmons contain a lot of water, glucose and fructose. When dried into persimmons, the water gradually evaporates. The glucose and fructose contained in the pulp penetrate into the skin, forming glucose crystals, which are similar to the syrup outside the candied fruit, and can be called the essence of persimmons. Meanwhile, this layer of "white frost" keeps the entire persimmon cake dry. Persimmon cakes, processed and boiled, can treat rectal bleeding and cough in the elderly, and also have certain therapeutic effects on hepatitis

Persimmon cakes, also known as Geng cakes. Shanxi dialect is also known as "Sibing" (Shanxi dialect, Shaanxi dialect: persimmon "SHI" sounds "SI").

Persimmon cakes are a favorite fruit among people. They are sweet, delicious, and nutritious. In southern Shanxi, especially during the Spring Festival, every household is filled with persimmon cakes to greet guests. Here is the origin of the word persimmon cakes:

According to legend, after Zuyi moved from Geng to Xing, he established the capital of the country there and enfeoffed his younger brother Zubing in Geng (today's Shanxi, Hejin, and Shanwang villages), establishing Geng State and appointing Zubing as the ruler.

Method of making Xingyang persimmon cakes

1. Material selection:

Choose persimmons with large fruit size, moderate moisture content, no pests and diseases, and not soft or rotten. It is best to choose persimmons with no or few seeds. From the outside, mature fruits with a golden yellow color with a slight red tint and thin yellow sepals are the best. Persimmons should be harvested and processed in a timely manner. If harvested too early, persimmons will have more moisture and less sugar, resulting in poor quality persimmon cakes. If harvested too late, persimmons will be soft and ripe, making them difficult to process

2. Peeling:

You can use an iron scraper to remove the outer hard skin of the selected fresh persimmons, leaving the stem skin close to the calyx and stem of the persimmons

III. Sunbathing Kang:

Place the peeled persimmon fruits neatly on a drying mat (which can be woven with bamboo) and sun dry them one by one. The sun mat should be placed on a shelf 1 meter above the ground. When the persimmon fruit is sun dried, the calyx plate is facing downwards, and it is dried outdoors at night. If the weather is bad during the day, plastic film can be used to cover the persimmon, but the film cannot be directly placed on top of it. Rainy persimmons should be wiped dry with a dry cloth in a timely manner. If it is cloudy and rainy for a long time, it can be dried over low heat at night. Generally, persimmons can be kneaded after being exposed to wind and dew for 2 days during the day, and when the outer flesh is slightly soft on the 3rd to 4th day. In the future, while pinching and sun drying, continue to flip and sun for 10 to 12 days. When it is half dry, you can stop sun drying

Fourth, kneading persimmon cakes:

There are rules for shaping persimmon cakes by hand. The specific method is: do not apply too much force on the first pass to avoid crushing the outer skin and affecting the appearance. After 2 to 3 days, when the persimmon surface gradually dries and wrinkles appear, continue to knead it a second time. This time is the key to affecting the quality. When squeezing, apply more force than the first time and soften all the hard pieces of the fruit pulp. After another 2 to 3 days, if there are coarse wrinkles on the fruit surface, knead it for the third time. This time, flatten the fruit surface, soften the flesh, and promptly shape it. It is advisable to choose a sunny or windy morning to do so, as the moisture in the exposed flesh at night migrates outward, causing the fruit surface to regain moisture and be resilient, making it less likely to be crushed

Fifth, Frost Exposure:

Pack the flattened semi-finished products in a wooden box, and lay clean white paper around and on top of the wooden box. Before and after the Frost Descent Festival, take out the persimmon cakes and spread them in a cool place, being careful not to expose them to sunlight. It is usually hung out in the morning and put back in the box in the afternoon. In case of rainy weather, use charcoal or anthracite as fuel and bake over low heat. After repeated processing in this way, the sugar content of persimmon cakes can overflow, and white frost will appear on their surface. The quality of frost on persimmon cakes depends on their moisture content. It is better for the persimmon cakes to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside during the last plastic surgery. Excessive moisture can easily seep out, making the surface sticky and preventing frost from forming. Too little moisture makes it difficult to frost. High quality persimmon cakes have a yellow red color and a transparent adhesive like texture. They are flat and round in shape, intact, with a copper rim and white frost on the surface. Sweet taste, not astringent, dryness of about 95%, no mold or insect infestation

6. Storage:

The dried persimmon cakes made are sorted out of defective products and tied in a "cross" shape with white dry straw or brown leaf silk every 10 pieces. They can be sold as products. If sold in batches, it should be stored properly to prevent mold and spoilage. The method is to place sterilized and dried straw in a basket, pack tied persimmon cakes, cover them with sterilized straw, and store them in a barn for insulation. It can also be placed in a dry and ventilated place

Awards and honors for Xingyang persimmon

Xingyang persimmon is a major specialty of Xingyang City, Henan Province, renowned both domestically and internationally. It has now been exported to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other places.