Workers were producing New Year cake in no time

Photo by Wu Yuting

A few days ago, the weather got cooler and autumn was getting closer, and glutinous New Year cake had become the favorite food for people living in Beilun district. The growing demand on New Year cakes made producers busy.

Around 5AM, the workers of Fukoule Food Factory on Baifeng Sub-district have been engaged in the production of New Year cakes. In the rising hot air, five or six workers performed their duties respectively including soaking rice, grinding, cooking and shaping. Accompanied by the sound of the machine, New Year cakes were sent out of the production line and into the packages. Then they would be sold in across Beilun district and even all over the country.

For local people, New Year cake was one part of their memory that cannot be tore away from their childhood. In their memories, there were different kinds of delicious warm New Year cakes: fried New Year cake, simmered New Year cake, baked New Year cake and dried New Year cake.

Speaking of Beilun New Year cake, we have to mention Baifeng's shrimp-made (Guang Shu) New Year cake, which is soft and chewy. The brand has a history of nearly 600 years. According to local historical records, the history of shrimp-made (Guang Shu) New Year Cake can be dated back to Ming Dynasty, the period of Chenghua. The New Year cake is tender, smooth, and glutinous texture, remaining intact even after prolonged cooking. They are non-sticky when eaten and offer a delicate, refreshing fragrance and taste.

Fukoule Food Factory is the largest production factory in Baifeng Xiayang Village (Guang Shu). There are different kinds including original flavor, pumpkin, wormwood, sweet osmanthus and sweet potato New Year cakes. Recent days witness the growing volume of production and orders, which has shown a clear upward trend. “At present, about 3,000 kilograms of New Year cakes are produced every day and they can be sold out on the same day.” Hu Suzhen, people in charge of Fukoule Food, introduced that the increase in order volume has extended the production time in the near future but we can just complete the production in time."

Hu Suzhen said, according to the market over the years, the weather was getting cooler and the, order volume had obviously increased but now we were not reaching the peak season. When the temperature dropped to zero degrees Celsius, the production and sales will usher in the peak. "The daily sales can reach 5,000 kilograms. At that time, it will take about 10 workers to work together and we could produce all day. Even rush to work until seven or eight o'clock in the evening."

For Beilun people, soft glutinous New Year cakes are not only delicious food but also a symbol of local food culture. In recent years, Baifeng sub-district has been focusing on the New Year Cake industry by continuously bestowing new connotation to New Year cakes and seeking innovation. The “Golden Business Card” of the New Year Cake Festival is now well-known. Up to now, people here has held ten New Year Cake Cultural Tourism Festival and built an agricultural and cultural tourism industry featuring with Baifeng characteristics by integrating local landscape and cultural resources into New Year cakes. (Reporters: Wu Yuting, Yao Wei; Correspondents: Yu Tingting, Shi Yuqin)