Xuzhou, an ancient city with a history of 5,000 years, has many varieties of famous specialties and rich resources, including Fanjia dog meat with turtle sauce, children's cakes, sesame slices, peanut candy, bee cakes, hawthorn sticks... there are countless, but my favorite is the sweet-scented osmanthus cake.

sugar.

Osmanthus crisp candy is a famous specialty pastry in Xuzhou, with a production process that goes back thousands of years.

The packaging of sweet-scented osmanthus candy in my hometown of Xuzhou is very particular. It is a traditional paper packaging with two layers: the outer layer is ordinary paper with red characters on a white background, and the inner layer is packed with moisture-proof wax paper.

Packets of halva are packaged in a rectangular shape with sharp edges and uniform sizes.

Osmanthus halva not only has exquisite packaging on the outside, but also strives for excellence on the inside. It is mainly made from sesame, refined flour, honey, maltose, white sugar, southern osmanthus, etc. through more than a dozen traditional techniques such as boiling sugar, beating sugar, and baking.

It tastes sweet and delicious and can be eaten directly or brewed with boiling water. Because of its fragrant aroma, nutrition and moisturizing effects, it has the effects of moistening the lungs, strengthening the stomach and relieving coughs. It is a very favorite sweet treat among people.

I like osmanthus halva not only because it is sweet and delicious, but also because it has a beautiful legend.

Legend has it that during the Northern Song Dynasty, when Su Dongpo was appointed magistrate of Xuzhou, the Yellow River burst and floods reached the city walls of Xuzhou and were about to overflow the city walls. There were rumors among the people that the flood would only recede if a young and beautiful woman jumped into the Yellow River.

After hearing the news, Su Dongpo's thirteen-year-old daughter Su Gu burned incense and prayed: "As long as it can save the people of Xuzhou, she is willing to sacrifice her life to fight the flood." After praying, she jumped from the city wall into the water. The flood slowly receded, and Xuzhou City was saved.

In order to commemorate Su Gu, people rushed to buy sweet-scented osmanthus candy to worship Su Gu.