📍 Geographical traceability: legendary refreshments bred by the ancient charm of Jingkou
Located in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, an ancient city in the south of the Yangtze River with more than 3,000 years of civilized history, there is a traditional tea snack called "Jinu Cake", which carries deep historical memories.
The place called Zhenjiang was formerly called Jingkou, was also called South Xuzhou, and was also called Runzhou. It has long been known as the "land of plenty" and also has the reputation of "urban forest".
It is this land and water that gave birth to a unique pasta culture.
The history of Jinu Cake can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty. At that stage, a large number of immigrants from the north settled in Jingkou and brought exquisite noodle-making skills with them.
In 318 AD, Emperor Sima Rui issued an edict stating that "three wheats are suitable for soil." Zhenjiang began to plant wheat, barley and wheat on a large scale. In this way, pasta entered the homes of ordinary people, and gradually gave birth to vendors who specialized in selling cakes. Eventually, Zhenjiang became one of the few cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang where wheat cultivation once exceeded rice.
This cake is named after Liu Yu, also known as "Jinnu". It is not just a delicacy, but it is also an extremely important thing that can bear witness to Zhenjiang as a place where northern and southern cultures blend.
🌾 Features of raw materials: perfect fusion of local flour and natural fillings
The soul of authentic Jinu Cake lies in the ultimate use of Zhenjiang’s local ingredients.
The main raw material used is high-quality wheat flour produced locally in Zhenjiang. This kind of flour is due to the unique climate and soil conditions in the area, so the powder is fine and the gluten is in a moderate state. The cake crust made from it is both tough and crispy.
The production process is very sophisticated: part of the flour is kneaded with the help of sugar water to make a crystal clear dough, while the other part of the flour is kneaded with local vegetable oil to make a golden and soft dough. The two parts of the dough are mixed and superimposed many times to finally form an extremely rich layer of puff pastry.
The ingredients used to make the stuffing are extremely rich and colorful, which fully demonstrates how rich the products are in a place known as the land of fish and rice: the salty stuffing includes locally sourced green onions, shepherd's purse that grows in season, and the fresh Incomparably tender leeks; as for the sweet filling, it uses delicate bean paste, sweet date paste, fragrant sesame candy, and rose sugar. Each filling is derived from natural existence, and the taste is very pure, without adding anything else at all.
👄 Taste and flavor: Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a sweet and salty blend that lingers on your tongue
The Jinu Cake, which gives people a flavor experience, is really a masterpiece. It completely interprets the characteristics of Zhenjiang tea food: "oily but not greasy, crisp but not loose, fragrant but glutinous".
The freshly baked jinu cake is plump, golden in color and crispy, extremely tempting.
When you take the first bite, the first thing you feel is the crispiness of the skin, followed by the softness and delicious flavor inside.
If it is a savory stuffing made of onions and meat, or a stuffing made of shepherd's purse, the gravy and vegetable aroma will suddenly explode in the person's mouth; if it is a sweet stuffing made of bean paste, or a stuffing made of sesame candy, it will have a delicate and sweet taste, and the aftertaste will be very long and endless.
The "crispy" kind and the "soft and glutinous" kind alternate with each other on the tip of the tongue, creating a unique flavor that is unforgettable. Many old Zhenjiang people, even after sixty or seventy years, still have vivid memories of the crispy and delicious taste.
🍵 Eating scene: Eating with tea, the elegant life of old Zhenjiang people
In the old town of Zhenjiang, this item was used as a snack and was not regarded as a formal meal. However, it was a top quality snack that was very popular among the elderly and children, and so on.
In the old days, they were sold all year round, regardless of whether it was cold winter or hot summer.
The most authentic way to enjoy it is to eat it hot.
If the cake is cold, return it to the stove briefly to regain its crispy texture.
A more sophisticated way to eat it is to pair it with a cup of Jinshan Cuiyang, a local specialty.
The aroma includes the rich and fragrant aroma from the cake, the fresh and elegant aroma of tea, and the natural aroma retained by the use of wheat straw, thatch and other grass fuels when frying the Ondol cake. These aromas are intertwined and mixed together, thus forming a leisurely and elegant life enjoyment.
This is not only a satisfaction for the taste buds, but also a great blessing in life for old Zhenjiang people during their leisure time in the afternoon.
🔍 Quality identification: identification of traditional craftsmanship and authentic genes
To identify the authentic Jinu cake , you need to start with the details.
First of all, let’s take a look at the appearance. The authentic Jinu cake is plump in shape and uniform in size. Since it is fried on the kang over a slow fire instead of deep-fried, its skin has a natural golden and buttery color and is not charred.
Secondly, you have to try the taste, which must meet the standard of "crispy on the outside and tender on the inside". When you bite into it, the pastry will appear in a very clear layer, and the filling will be moist and delicious, and will never be dry or hard.
The key to distinguishing it is that it is " oily but not greasy ". After frying the oil noodles made of local vegetable oil, the oil is fully absorbed by the dough, leaving only the aroma and no floating oil.
Finally, the authentic Jinu cake has a clear and obvious imprint of regional culture. It is closely related to the historical figure Liu Yu of Zhenjiang. It is a symbol of the unique flavor of this city and is not a mass product that can be seen anywhere.
📜 Cultural connection: the memory of the ancient city in the market hawking
The cultural value of Jinu cake goes far beyond its delicious taste.
In the past, it was not sold in tea shops. Instead, people who specialized in this craft would put it in bamboo baskets after making it every day, walk through the streets and alleys, and sell it near Beishui Pass, Xiaobakou, Dengxian Bridge, and Kaolan Gate in Zhenjiang City.
From time to time, they can be seen at Wutiao Street, at Xiaoshikou, or at the foot of Shouqiu Mountain, Liu Yu's former residence.
In the 1930s and 1940s, there was an old man named Dong. His name was unknown, but everyone called him "Gou'erye". The "Jinu Cake" he made was the most famous, and because of his extremely exquisite craftsmanship, he was respectfully called "Guozi Dong".
This kind of cries in the market and the inheritance of craftsmen constitute Zhenjiang 's unique food folk customs.
However, it is a pity that Jinu Cake, like traditional tea foods such as Sparrow Head, Jade Belt Cake, and Bazhen Cake, has disappeared for many years.
It is not only food, but also a taste link that connects modern times with the history of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It is an indelible cultural birthmark of the ancient city of Zhenjiang, which is worth rediscovering and cherishing.
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