Water chestnut pudding

　　For most citizens, Water chestnut pudding is not only a snack, but also recall back past memory of being a child. Water chestnut pudding is a traditional local snack which is made from sugar water and chestnut powder. Chestnut, in Cantonese, is usually named as “horse hoofs” which has yellow color and transparent, easy to be fold but not break, soft, smooth, fresh, tough, but taste sweet mixed with a pleasant smell.

　　Origin of Water chestnut pudding:

　　In Year 649 Zhenguan of Tang Dynasty, emperor Taizong died and emperor Gaozong enthroned. The governor of south of Province Fujian send a picture named as “Bantangwuxiu” (Bantang of Guangzhou was famous for lotus, chestnuts and other three products from pond) to the emperor. Emperor Gaozhong like the picture a lot and took it as sacrifice for enthroning.

　　After Wuzetian became empress, she forced her son “Xian” to committed suicide. One of sons of Xian got the picture. Before he died, he passed the picture to his son. In order to avoid continuous massacre by Wuzetian, he asked his offspring moving to south of China for keeping safe. Since then, his offspring all moved to Guangzhou.

　　According to the picture, many moved to Bantang for residing. At that time it was the harvest season for water chestnut. But the fresh water chestnut was hard to keep long time. So the water chestnut was made as syrup and baked as power. Water chestnut powder mixed with water bears the same taste as the fresh water chestnut. It is the origin of current Water chestnut puddingThere is also a fable regarding water chestnut pudding. After Guangong became a god, he invited Change for travelling in Guilin together with Zhou Chang and Guan Ping. The scenery of Guilin is so beautiful, so Zhou chang returned back north and took his mother to Guilin for pleasure. The mother of Zhou chang was so old and could only had porridge every day. In cold winter, wine was kept warm above the steam pot chicken, reminded by this, Zhoucang asked the carpenter to make a wood cup, mixed with water chestnut powder and rice powder, spread yellow ground sugar above, positioned above steam pot chicken. The finished cake has the shape of a small wine cup and looks like a “horse hoof” turning upside down. Zhou Chang named it as “water chestnut cake”. The mother of Zhoucang felt happy on the cake. This cooking method passed to the public and very popular since after.

　　How to make water chestnut cake:

　　The ratio of water chestnut powder and pure water: 1:2. Mixed as syrup for 20 minutes.

　　Water chestnut without skin cut into dice or purely take water chestnut powderPut appropriate red-sugar and white-sugar into pure waterAfter the sugar melt, in boil water, put water chestnut dice or water chestnut powderMix the syrup with the boil sugar waterAfter mix, the sugar water looks glutinousPut the syrup into bowl covered with a thin skin of oil, steamed above water for 30 minutesWater chestnut cake is finished and cool for cutting