Airen Spongy Rice Cake 矮人松糕

Airen Spongy Rice Cake (矮人松糕) is a steamed cake of glutinous rice flour, diced pork fat, osmanthus and sugar from the city of Wenzhou (温州), Zhejiang. Its name means 'short man's spongy cake': it goes back to Gu Jinfang (谷进芳), a Wenzhou man of small build who set up a stall making these cakes at the entrance to Wuma Street (五马街) in the later years of the War of Resistance against Japan.

How it is made

Wenzhou Net (温州网), the Wenzhou Daily news site, gives the method: pure glutinous rice from the current year's harvest is ground with water into a fine flour, then mixed with diced fat pork from the rump, osmanthus and white sugar. The mixture is steamed, cut into pieces and sold as soon as it comes off the steamer. Gu Jinfang's stall became known for its careful choice of ingredients and fine workmanship.

Flavour and texture

The cake is soft, fluffy and glutinous but does not stick to the teeth, with a translucent crumb. It tastes sweet with a salty edge; the glutinous rice gives a sweet aroma and the pork fat a scent of lard. The cakes steamed at the Xiaonanmen (小南门) shop in the urban area, the best-known Airen outlet today according to Hangzhou Net (杭州网), are topped with osmanthus, red dates and pork.

Where it comes from

Hangzhou Net sets it beside Changren Wontons (长人馄饨), 'tall man's wontons', named after a tall shop owner: one tall and one short, the two count among Wenzhou's best-known snacks.