Empress Dowager Cakes, a Kind of Snack with Story
2 min read
According to the record of History of Han Dynasty, Empress Dowager Bo,the mother of Emperor Wen of Han was very virtuous and bright,under whose education and edification Emperor Wen had experienced the sufferings ot ordinary folks since childhood and learnt to understand and sympathize the difficulties of the civilians.Once having ascended the throne, Emperor Wen just began to launch benevolent governing policies,achieving the historically renowned”Rules of Wen and Jing”.
Empress Dowager Bo was a southerner before and could not help missing heavily her hometown as she lived long in the Imperial Palace.Once,Empress Dowager Bo set out for a spring outing from Chang’an City and travelled all the way its original Wei River to the current Fuping County,where she discovered that the geographical environment was very similar to that of her hometown.When she returned to the Imperial Palace after the travel,she told her son that she would like to treat Fuping County as her hometown.
Emperor Wen was filially obedient and thus issued an imperial edict to build an imperial mansion in the name of his grandmother,the Lady of Lord Lingwen.Once the new mansion was completed,Empress Dowager Bo invited her aged mother and her sisters there to settle down,with the servant girls and chefs followed as well to look after the family.Among these chets,there was one seasoned in baking cakes and consequently had mastery of the baking skills.Empress Dowager Bo always visited her mother,who would treat Empress Dowager Bo with this snack that Empress Dowager Bo grew fonder ot.Ihe mother and daughter shared this snack with the civilians as well,passing out the cakes to the folks.
The civilians were very fond of it tor its superb taste.As time went by,this snack was found among the folks who simulated the first ones.As a consequence, when asked about the name of this snack,the folks would use the name”Empress Dowager Cake”,a name that has come down to our times.
