Anju Hanlin Sesame Nut Crisp 安居翰林酥

Ingredients

The town's account of the snack names four components by colour: white millet, black sesame, red peanuts and walnuts. Before it took its present name it was called xiaomi su (小米酥, millet crisp), described as an Anju speciality that, in the story, only wealthy households could afford. It comes golden and fragrant, cut into neat pieces. Older people in Anju still make it by hand for their children and grandchildren.

Where it comes from

Anju Ancient Town stands in Anju town at the meeting of the Qiong River (琼江) and the Fujiang River (涪江). In the Qing dynasty it produced four Hanlin scholars, remembered in the saying “一门三进士，父子双翰林” (three jinshi degree-holders in one family, a father and son both in the Hanlin), which refers to Wang Shu (王恕) and his sons Wang Rujia (王汝嘉) and Wang Rubi (王汝璧).

The scenic area tells the origin as a legend. In the Kangxi reign, Wang Shu's mother went round several households for fine grain and made millet crisp for his long journey to the capital examinations; he passed and was appointed to the Hanlin. Wang Rujia carried a bag of it to the examinations in the Qianlong reign and passed as well. After that, Anju candidates took the crisp to the capital, and the town began calling it Hanlin crisp. When elders make it today, it carries the message to study hard and follow those forebears. Hanlin crisp is listed as a local intangible cultural heritage protection item.