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Pea Flour Cake

Pea Flour Cake is a precious traditional snack in Beijing. Here is a detailed introduction to it:


I. Historical Origin


Pea Flour Cake originated in the Qing Dynasty and was originally a court snack. It is said that it was introduced from the folk to the court and then carefully improved by the imperial chefs before spreading back to the folk. Due to its delicate texture and unique flavor, it has been deeply loved by both the court aristocrats and the common people and has been passed down to this day.


II. Ingredients


  1. Main Ingredient: Peas are the core ingredient for making Pea Flour Cake. Usually, high-quality dried peas are selected to ensure the pure taste and rich pea fragrance of the Pea Flour Cake. These peas need to be soaked and other treatments to fully absorb water for subsequent steaming and cooking.

  2. Accessory Ingredients: The main ones are white sugar and agar (or white kidney bean paste can also be used for thickening). White sugar is used to increase the sweetness, making the Pea Flour Cake taste sweet. Agar is a setting agent that helps the Pea Flour Cake to take shape, giving it appropriate hardness and elasticity while maintaining a delicate texture.


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III. Appearance Characteristics


Pea Flour Cake is light yellow in color, with a pure and bright hue, like the color of the spring sun. Its shape is mostly square, with neat edges and a smooth surface. When cut open, the internal texture is uniform without obvious graininess, giving a delicate and refined visual impression.


IV. Taste and Texture


  1. Taste: It tastes sweet and fragrant, with the rich pea aroma perfectly blended with the sweetness of white sugar. This sweetness is not overpowering and is fresh and natural, with a faint plant fragrance that leaves a lingering taste in the mouth after tasting.

  2. Texture: The texture is delicate and smooth. Melting in the mouth is a characteristic of Pea Flour Cake. It will dissolve with a gentle press in the mouth, just like fine bean paste, but a bit more compact than bean paste. This unique texture is mainly due to the fine grinding and steaming of the peas, as well as the effect of setting agents such as agar.


V. Production Process


  1. Pea Treatment: First, wash the dried peas thoroughly and soak them in clear water for several hours until the peas swell and become soft. Then put the soaked peas into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and cook until the peas are thoroughly cooked and soft. This step requires a relatively long time to ensure that the peas can be completely cooked.

  2. Grinding and Filtering: Take out the cooked soft peas, put them into a blender or use tools such as a mortar to grind them into a fine pea paste. Then, filter the pea paste through a strainer to remove pea skins and other impurities, obtaining a more delicate and smooth pea puree.

  3. Boiling: Pour the pea puree into a pot, add an appropriate amount of white sugar and agar (if using agar, it needs to be soaked in water in advance to soften it), and boil slowly over a low fire. During the boiling process, keep stirring to prevent the pot from burning. As the temperature rises and the water evaporates, the pea puree will gradually become thick.

  4. Shaping: When the pea puree reaches the appropriate thickness, pour it into a mold (usually a square mold), and use a shovel or spoon to level the surface. Then let the Pea Flour Cake cool naturally or refrigerate it for a while until it solidifies and takes shape. After shaping, take the Pea Flour Cake out of the mold and cut it into appropriately sized squares.



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VI. Cultural Connotation


As a traditional snack in Beijing, Pea Flour Cake carries rich cultural connotations. It is an embodiment of the exchange and integration of Beijing's court culture and folk culture. In traditional festivals or court banquets, Pea Flour Cake often appears as a special pastry, representing refinement and taste. At the same time, it is also a beautiful memory of old Beijingers' childhood. On the street corners and in the snack stalls, the figure of Pea Flour Cake can always be seen. Its unique flavor witnesses the inheritance and development of Beijing's snack culture.
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