The Story of Oyster Cake

In the old days, Yan was so sentimental that he lived his life with the king and his son. Xianyou Normal School, also known as the Xianyou Campus of Putian University, has been relocated. Xianyou Normal School has become a historical term in the true sense, and I am filled with emotions.

Many years ago, from August 1988 to October 1992, I taught at Xianyou Normal School. The immortal master occupies an important position in my life history, and it makes me happy and interesting to mention it.

The smoke is red and the dew is fragrant at dawn, and the swallows are dancing and the orioles are singing, and the spring is long. There are many scenery in Xianyou, and the scenery in Yanchipu is good. There is a very delicious food there, Xianyou pancake.

Everyone knows the taste of oysters, and they got their name from Puxian. Xianyou belonged to Putian in ancient times, and the people of Xianyou were also from Putian. The oyster meat is tender and has a unique taste. It can calm the nerves, subdue yang and replenish yin. It is the most popular seafood delicacy in Puxian. Oysters are delicious and versatile. In the past, the day when you could eat oysters was a happy holiday for many children.

The Xianyou people like oysters, just like the Putian people. The taste of oysters is very good, so I eat them promptly. Xianyou Oyster Cake is a masterpiece of Putian’s oyster delicacies. I have studied Mazu worship for many years. For a simple Mazu sacrifice, I think two delicacies can be used, Putian red dumplings and Xianyou clam cakes, with red and yellow combinations, beautiful and harmonious colors.

I eat Xianyou clam cakes mainly at Yanchipu. When the sun sets and all the cloud shadows disappear, Yanchipu gradually falls into the gentle twilight. The lights came on and the grass was enveloped in light. However, there were still noisy people all around, including the cries of various snacks, the gongs and drums of the Carp Theater Troupe, the sound of piano practicing in the music building, and the sounds of children playing and the friendly shouts of women. In short, it was very lively.

This gentleman has grown old, and his child looks a little older now. The memory of Yanchipu is harmonious and wonderful, which together gives people a sense of leisurely and relaxed enjoyment. The night view of Yanchipu is very charming.

Ah, there is a full moon in the sky. Under the moonlight, the normal school and Yanchipu merged into one, and everything seemed to be plated with silver, completely changing its tone. On the grass, some people were haggling with some vendors, buying some snacks for late night snacks. Among the delicious snacks, Xianyou Cake is the most popular.

The breeze and the bright moon are unattended, and the clam cakes are delicious. There are many delicacies in Xianyou, mostly related to oysters. The oyster meat is tender, has outstanding umami flavor, and has a unique taste that can soothe the nerves and regulate the mood.

I was delighted to see the boy from the creek going out to see me, and the oyster arrived at Nian’s house before me. Oysters are a must for every household during the Chinese New Year.

Oil cakes are well-known. Sometimes a person wants to taste all the delicacies from around the world, but later on, he finds that eating only Xianyou Sea Oyster Cake is enough. Oyster cakes, called moth cakes in Puxian dialect, are also called oyster cakes. They can be paired with sweet and sour soy sauce and vinegar.

There is a story in Xianyou County about the production of moth cakes.

There was a young man in Guxianyou County who set up a stall to sell breakfast. The business was slow and he could only make ends meet without being able to get married. One night, he dreamed that a god said to him: "You have good luck!" He asked urgently: "Where can I ask for good luck?" The god did not answer and drifted away. At this time, the moon was white and the clouds were clear in the sky. Finally, the sun rises from the east with thousands of rays of light. Later generations realized the secret, ground rice and beans into paste, and fried the moon-like moth cakes in oil. The cake tumbles in the oil, as if among colorful clouds, and the blazing flames are like the rays of the sun; when the moth cake is ripe, it turns golden, like the sun. So, the business is good, the money is abundant, and the family is established.

The finished moth cake is round in shape, golden in color, crispy in shell, delicious in filling and meaty in taste, and can be eaten alone. You can also eat moth cakes with flat food, one dry and one thin, the flavor is delicious and a perfect match!

Moth cake is naturally difficult to make, so making it high-quality has a long-lasting taste. On a summer night, an hour's walk, a plate of moth cakes, a bowl of flatbread, and a cup of Coke is my simple "Chinese Dream".

In the new era, Xianyou oyster cakes are rich and colorful. Sweet potato powder or taro powder is used as the main ingredient, which is authentic. The filling is delicious, including cabbage, seaweed, and garlic, with beautiful color and strong fragrance. In the moth cake, a little green onion is added. The green onions are crispy and fragrant after being fried in oil. One oyster cake, two or three oysters are enough, and some small shrimps are also needed.

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, many people want to eat fried oyster cakes. For this reason, oysters are more expensive on this day. The deep-fried oyster cakes are a little golden in the white, fragrant and crispy, a warm delicacy in winter.

Moth cake is delicious but hard to make. Often at dawn in the morning, the family has to get up, pick up the rice and soybeans soaked in the water the night before, then set up the stone mill and clean it with water.

Stone mill is simple and simple, but also busy. Driven by the grinding hook, the stone mill tirelessly rotates in circles and makes a rumbling sound like muffled thunder. The originally rough life can be made a little more refined. Two people are required to grind rice. Because the stone grinding eye is small, one person is needed to grind the grinding stone. The other person keeps adding water and rice to the grinding eye. Even in the cold weather, the person adding water is often so cold that he jumps and rubs his hands.

Grind rice pulp and put it in a large iron basin or earthenware jar. Mix oyster meat, lean pork, green onions, and leeks (cabbage or seaweed can also be used) into the filling. Arrange the slurry and stuffing on both sides of the oil pan, and place a dense iron rack on top of the oil pan.

The person frying the oyster cakes holds a special long-handled ladle on each side. The left ladle spreads the slurry on the bottom of the right ladle, spreads the stuffing, then covers it with rice milk, and stretches the right ladle in.

Boil oil in a pan and deep-fry until golden brown. Remove and place on the iron rack for those who want to eat.

Eating Xianyou clam cake is really a happy thing. Speaking of Xianyou Cake, I felt again the poverty of human written language. That kind of sentiment is really something that cannot be described in words.

Today’s Xianyou, the scenery is even more beautiful. Xianyou in the new era is surrounded by mountains and rivers, rich in products, beautiful mountains and rivers, numerous historical sites and many beautiful scenery.

Looking at the flowing water of Mulan Creek from the bridge, it is bright blue and quiet, gentle and subtle. I looked up again, looked at the cloud shadows in the sky, and reviewed the cloud shadows in the same sky at another time, and I seemed to have an understanding of it.

From the fairy cakes, I thought about the many people and careers in life in the new era. I was excited by a strange emotion in the new characteristics of the dream situation. Beautiful Fairyland is really promising.