Crispy sesame seed cake is a special flavor food in Mengcheng. It is said that it has a history of over 50 years. During the light years of the Qing Dynasty (1821-1850), there lived a lonely old man named Song on the west side of the gate of the Confucian Temple, who made a living by selling shortbread. Later, the old man accepted Xue Yannian from Shandong as his apprentice. After Xue Yannian learned the craft, he passed on the family line to collect disciples. Later, this matter was passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, more and more people will make fried sesame cakes and become more and more famous. The selection and production of Mengcheng crispy sesame cake are very excellent. Flour should be fine white flour and lard should be fine pig fat oil. Seasonings such as salt, green onions, sesame oil and sesame seeds are also the best. Noodles should be neither soft nor hard. There are strict standards for the dosage and collocation of condiments (of course, it should be adjusted according to the different seasons and climates). When making, the biscuit should be stretched and rolled thin, and the filling should be evenly and moderately spread. The temperature of fire and furnace wall should be controlled. If the furnace wall is too hot or too cold, the raw sesame cake will not stick together and will "fall off the furnace". When baking, you need to control the heat. If the heat is not enough, the sesame cake will not be cooked or crisp. When the heat passes, it will burn again. Sticking raw biscuits to the furnace wall or shoveling baked biscuits from the furnace wall with shovels and fire scissors seems simple, but it is not easy. In particular, baked cookies are picked with fire scissors, with delicate strength. If the strength is small, the biscuits are not crisp enough; If the intensity is high, it is possible to pick up the whole sesame cake. I'm afraid outsiders don't fully understand the skills and hardships involved in a small fried sesame cake.
The shortbread made by experts is full of color, flavor and flavor. After baking, it is orange. Cut it with fire and take it off. As thin as bamboo paper, it smells like oil. It makes people drool at a glance. It tastes crisp and delicious. Eat this and think that. Eat this and think about it next time. It's a pity that the present crispy rice is best baked, and you should hold it with both hands when eating it, otherwise a lot of burnt cake residue will fall off if you eat it in one bite. It will be soft if it is left for a long time, and it will be crisp as usual if it is baked again, but the taste is much worse than that of baked.
When freshly baked and fried sesame cakes are served on the table, they should be placed separately one by one and must not be piled together. Otherwise, the bottom will be crushed, which is not only unsightly, but also troublesome to eat.
In the past, one of the famous artists who made fried cakes in Mengcheng was Liu Jiemin, whose mother was the daughter of the Xue family and an expert in making fried cakes. Liu Jiemin got the true story of his mother and learned the good craft of making crispy biscuits. After liberation, he worked as a chef in the Northern Anhui Hotel in the county town, mainly making crispy cakes, which was very famous in Mengcheng. Later, he accepted an apprentice named Liu Zhimin. Under the example of Liu Jiemin, Liu Zhimin soon became a famous pastry chef.
After Wan Li went to Anhui as the secretary of the provincial party committee, he once visited Mengcheng and stayed in the county guest house. County leaders invited Liu Jie citizens and Liu Zhimin to elaborate cakes to entertain Comrade Wan Li. He was full of praise after eating. Soon after, Liu Zhimin was transferred to Daoxianglou Hotel in Hefei, specializing in making shortbread. After that, the distinguished guests staying at Daoxianglou Hotel expressed their affirmation after eating the crispy biscuits made by Liu Zhimin. For a time, crispy sesame seed cake became a famous food in Daoxianglou Hotel, and Mengcheng crispy sesame seed cake was famous at home and abroad. In order to meet the demand, Liu Zhimin taught many apprentices. Later, when I was old, I changed to management, and I generally stopped doing it myself.
According to comrades who travel frequently, you can often eat fried sesame cakes in other places. Ask the seller, some say they are from Mengcheng, others say they learned their craft from Mengcheng, but they don't feel authentic.
Many people from other places come to Mongolia and often ask for Mengcheng crispy biscuits when eating. Some hotels and restaurants can do it themselves. Some can't do it themselves, so they go to the market to buy it.
At present, there are many crisp sesame cakes for sale in Mengcheng market. One near the post office is called Xue (female), and the other in the east alley of the county administrative service center is called Xue Jucai. They are all the third generation of the Xue family. Liu Jiemin is also the third generation of Xue family (dead). Many of Xue's descendants went to other places to operate. Among Liu Jiemin's descendants, no one has taken this as a career.
I sincerely hope that Mengcheng Crispy Sesame Cake will always maintain its unique flavor and strive to become a more famous first-class brand in China and the world.
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