I was not exactly unfamiliar with the Zhoucun Cake before I made a trip to the hometown of the sesame pastry, but somehow I thought the cake was not as tasty as what other people might think. However, when I arrived at Zhoucun and had my first bite of the cake, I thought that the so-called Zhoucun Cake I had tried before had to be fake. Otherwise, why did these cakes taste so appetizing and crispy?

The Zhoucun Cake could be dated back to the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). In the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), there were throngs of merchants and peddlers at Zhoucun, who brought in plenty of snacks. At that time, a stove was introduced to this area. By use of the stove, the locals innovated on the baking method and created crusty pancakes. In 1880, a baker surnamed Guo improved the baking process to give the cakes a unique flavor. Later on, “Zhoucun” was registered as the trademark of the cake. 

The cake is named after the birthplace, just like the famed Dezhou Braised Chicken and Tsingtao Beer in Shandong province. It shows that this snack enjoys a profound history.

With a history of over 1,800 years, the cake’s baking process has undergone repeated innovations, something Zhoucun people take pride in. Today, the cake is ubiquitous in Zhoucun, and you can see it being baked no matter if you are in the street or at a local museum. Those that are freshly out of the stove always taste better. It is no exaggeration: Once you taste it, you'll find I'm true to every word I have written here.  

The cake is made from wheat flour, white sugar and sesame seeds. When you take your bites slowly, you will find the cake thin, appetizing and crispy. It is as thin as an autumn leaf and as round as a full moon. It always leaves a wonderful aftertaste on your taste buds.  

Strolling on the streets in Zhoucun, you could see almost everyone young and old to have a bag of Zhoucun Sesame Seed Cake in hand. Light and easy to carry as the cakes are, the cake making process is never simple. Normally, a cake needs six steps to make, such as preparing the ingredients, stretching the flour, laying sesames, pasting and baking. Among the steps, preparations, stretching and molding, and baking are the most important. 

It is the inheritance of the traditional craft and a rigorous quality control that helped to maintain the charms of the Zhoucun Sesame Seed Cake, which is an intangible cultural heritage of China. Zhoucun Sesame Seed Cake is not just a cake; it represents a kind of inheritance and trust, and a symbol for the region.

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