Water Chestnut Cake, a classic in Guilin's traditional desserts, is like a shining pearl, exuding a unique charm. It mainly uses water chestnuts, also known as Chinese water chestnuts, as the core ingredient, skillfully incorporating the natural characteristics of water chestnuts into the pastry.
Water chestnuts, the ingredients growing in paddy fields, are sweet, juicy, crispy and delicious. When making water chestnut cake, high - quality water chestnuts are carefully selected, washed, peeled, and then ground into a fine water chestnut puree. This fine water chestnut puree retains the original sweetness and fragrance of water chestnuts, laying a unique flavor foundation for the water chestnut cake.
During the production process, in addition to the water chestnut puree, an appropriate amount of rice flour and sugar are added. The addition of rice flour gives the water chestnut cake the right amount of toughness and texture, integrating with the water chestnut puree to form a unique texture. The amount of sugar is carefully adjusted to ensure that the water chestnut cake reaches a perfect sweetness that is sweet but not cloying. It not only highlights the natural sweetness of water chestnuts but also does not make the sweetness too heavy, masking the natural flavor of water chestnuts.
After a series of elaborate production procedures, the steamed water chestnut cake presents a stunning transparent texture, like a beautiful crystal product. Its surface is as smooth as a mirror, and under the illumination of light, it faintly reveals a warm luster. When you gently cut a piece of water chestnut cake, you can feel its smooth texture, like jelly, but with a bit more toughness of a pastry.
Put it in your mouth, and the first thing you feel is the smooth taste. It slides slowly over the tip of your tongue like a silky satin. Immediately after, the natural fragrance of water chestnuts spreads in your mouth. That fresh smell, as if carrying the moisture of the paddy field and the breath of nature, makes you feel as if you are in a vibrant field. At the same time, a faint sweetness gradually spreads among the taste buds, sweet but not cloying, leaving a long - lasting aftertaste.
Water chestnut cake is not only a delicious dessert but also an indispensable part of the lives of people in Guilin. During festivals, it often appears on the dining table as a pastry with good auspicious meaning, adding a touch of sweetness and joy to the festival. When guests visit, the host will also enthusiastically serve water chestnut cake to express their welcome and respect to the guests with this traditional delicacy. It carries the love of the people in Guilin for life and the inheritance and perseverance of traditional food culture.
