Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The Quzhou Shaoyongfeng sesame cake shop was founded by Shao Fanggong, who studied under sesame-cake master Xu Dafeng, in the twenty-second year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty (1896 AD). In 2006, the Shaoyongfeng Chengzheng Food Factory was awarded the honor of "China Time-Honored Brand."
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Shaoyongfeng sesame-cake making craft is one of the representatives of China's traditional pasta-making craft; it spreads in Kecheng District of Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and the surrounding Longyou County, Jiangshan City, and Kaihua County, and radiates to other areas. Quzhou City lies in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, with landforms dominated by mountains and hills; its crops are rich in variety and it abounds in rice, wheat, sesame, peanuts, and the like, which are quality raw materials for sesame-cake making. Shaoyongfeng sesame cake uses black and white sesame as main ingredients, supplemented with flour, maltose, melon seeds, and nuts, and from ingredient processing to the finished cake, the hundred-odd process steps in between are all completed by hand by the sesame-cake masters. Its basic craft can be divided into ingredient processing, seasoning and kneading the filling, rounding and dividing the dough, wrapping the filling and pressing the cake, sesame-coating on both sides, and hanging-oven baking. Among these, the two-sided sesame-coating and hanging-oven baking skills are the most distinctive, reflecting the uniqueness of the making craft, the baking tools, and the sesame-coating method. Two-sided sesame-coating relies on three major tools—the sliding board, the sesame tray, and the rice sieve—to display the acrobatic skill of separating the cake from the hand and tossing the cake in the air to coat it with sesame; the sesame cake maintains a regular hexagon shape both while rotating on the mill and while flipping in the air, which is not only highly ornamental but also serves a counting function, the operation relying entirely on the artisan's experience. The baked sesame cake has a crisp outside and tender inside, with the "white edge, red center" as the standard for removing it from the oven—that is, the surface sesame is golden yellow while the sesame at the cake edge shows the natural color of white sesame. On festive occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival or weddings and birthdays, sesame-cake paintings with patterns such as Chang'e flying to the moon, the character for joy, the qilin bringing a son, and the god of longevity are made upon request. The sesame cake is not only a traditional food but also a symbolic sign carrying the historical memory and folk culture of the Quzhou people. The Shaoyongfeng sesame-cake making craft contains over a hundred process steps, finely and meticulously made, reflecting the artisans' superb skill and rich experience and wisdom. The rituals and customs of making and eating sesame cakes are rooted in local historical tradition and closely integrated with festival cultures such as the Mid-Autumn and Double Ninth festivals and life-cycle customs such as weddings, funerals, and birthdays, embodying the filial piety and etiquette based on Confucian thought; they are an important part of excellent traditional Chinese culture and play a certain positive role in promoting social harmony.
Archival Record of Process Steps
Shaoyongfeng sesame cake uses black and white sesame as main ingredients, supplemented with flour, maltose, melon seeds, and nuts, and from ingredient processing to the finished cake, the hundred-odd process steps in between are all completed by hand by the sesame-cake masters.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The hanging oven used for baking has a unique form, divided into two layers, with strong fire above and gentle fire below, using white-charcoal fire for two-sided baking, and the baking time is grasped entirely through the artisan's accumulated experience.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
This craft is mainly transmitted through the master-apprentice method and has gone through five generations to date. At present, the inheritors actively promote the transmission and dissemination of this item through study tours, "intangible heritage into campuses," exhibitions, and tourism experiences.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wang Qingai 04-1907
- Li Huizhong 05-2858
- Li Jiangang 05-2859
- Jia Zhiliang
- Rexiti Yimiti
- Hatamusha Nuer
- Yu Zhenling
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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