Zeng Cake: Zeng, jing, has four tones. The locals in Xi'an pronounce it jing and do not use the original pronunciation zeng

It is named after the use of a steaming utensil called "Zeng" . The steamer is an ancient cooking utensil with small holes at the bottom that can be placed on the pot to steam food. It is commonly known as Jinzi in the Yellow River Basin, so the steamer cake is also called Jin cake. So read jing.

The antiquity of the steamer cake is first reflected in its cooking utensils: the steamer is an ancient cooking utensil with small holes at the bottom that can be placed on a pot to steam food. According to legend, steamers were produced in the late primitive society. In the Neolithic Age, pottery steamers appeared. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, they developed into bronze casters. After the emergence of ironware, they turned into iron steamers. Zeng cake is steamed with glutinous rice, red dates or candied dates, and red beans placed on an iron steamer, hence the name Zeng cake.

The history of Zeng Gao

Zeng Gao evolved from the "糗玮粉糍" food specially used by princes in the Western Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago. "Zhou Li Tiangong" records that Shamei eats glutinous rice flour cake. "Powder cake" is a cake made by adding bean paste filling (called bean crumbs in ancient times) to glutinous rice flour.

The pre-Qin "fenzi" is a cake made by adding bean paste filling to glutinous rice flour and steaming it without jujube. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that it developed into steamed jujube and rice. In the Tang Dynasty, the "Crystal Dragon and Phoenix Cake" in the "Shaowei Banquet" hosted by Wei Juyuan to entertain Emperor Zhongzong is the same as today's steamer cake.

Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Zeng Cake