Xia Lun Fried Cakes Introduction
Most residents of Xia-lun engage in farming. In the early days, there were not many snacks available in the rural areas, so Wang Long-jie (born in 1946) thought of using locally produced rice to make and sell cake. He started selling deep-fried rice cakes at the market, and surprisingly, this venture lasted for over 30 years. It wasn’t until 2009, due to his old age, that his son Wang Jia-he (born in 1980) took over the business. The rice cakes are made the afternoon before, using a method that involves soaking the rice for 3 hours, grinding it into a rice paste, adding seasonings and a small amount of sugar, stirring it, and pouring it into a steamer to cook for 6 hours. Once done, they are cooled with a fan for 3 hours and then stored in the refrigerator. The freshly made rice cakes contain more moisture, and refrigeration helps reduce that. Since no other ingredients are added, locals refer to it as "Qing Cake". The following morning, the Qing Cake is sliced and pan-fried on both sides until golden brown, ready to be packed for takeaway. The takeaway comes with a small packet of dipping sauce, made by blending garlic into a paste using a blender, then boiling soy sauce and mixing it with the garlic paste to enhance the flavor.
