Xialun Fried Cakes Introduction
Most residents of Xialun are engaged in agriculture. In the early days, there weren't many snacks available in rural areas, so Wang Longjie (born in 1946) thought of using locally produced rice to make rice cakes for sale, and started selling fried rice cakes at the market. Surprisingly, he continued this for over 30 years. It wasn't until 2009, due to his old age, that his son Wang Jiahe (born in 1980) took over the business. The rice cake requires preparation the afternoon before; the process is as follows: soak the rice for 3 hours, grind it into rice milk, add seasoning and a small amount of sugar, stir, and then pour into a steamer to cook for 6 hours. Afterward, it is cooled with an electric fan for 3 hours and then placed in the refrigerator for later use. The freshly steamed rice cake has a high moisture content, and refrigerating it has the effect of reducing moisture. Since no additional ingredients are added, it is referred to by the locals as "Qing Cake." The next morning, the Qing Cake is taken to the market, sliced, and then deep-fried in a flat-bottomed pan until golden brown, after which it is cut into pieces and packed for takeout. A small packet of dipping sauce is included with the takeout. The dipping sauce is made by blending garlic into a paste with a blender; then, soy sauce is boiled and mixed with the garlic paste to enhance the flavor.
