Xialun Fried Cake Introduction
Most residents of Xia Lun are engaged in farming. Due to the lack of snacks in rural areas in the early days, Wang Long-jie (born in 1946) thought of using locally produced rice to make cakes for sale, and began selling fried cakes at a market stall. Unexpectedly, he continued this for over 30 years until 2009 when he handed it over to his son, Wang Jia-he (born in 1980), due to aging. The cake mixture must be prepared the afternoon before, and the process is as follows: soak the rice for 3 hours, grind it into rice paste, add seasoning and a small amount of sugar, stir, pour into a steamer, and cook for 6 hours. After cooking, it is cooled with a fan for 3 hours before being placed in the refrigerator for later use. The freshly cooked cakes have more moisture, and placing them in the refrigerator helps reduce water content. Since no other ingredients are added, the locals refer to it as "clear cake." The next morning, the clear cakes are taken to the market, sliced, then double-fried in a flat pan until golden brown, and packed to go. A small packet of dipping sauce is included with the takeout. The dipping sauce is made by blending garlic into a paste using a blender and mixing it with boiled soy sauce for added flavor.
