Airen Songgao (Short-Man Pine-Cake)

Airen songgao blends glutinous and non-glutinous rice flour, mixed with cubes of pork fat, osmanthus and sugar, then steamed; the cake is soft and chewy, its sweetness threaded through with osmanthus and rendered fat, rich in layers.

Airen songgao is said to have begun in the Republican-era Wenzhou, its founder nicknamed "Short Man" for his stature; his soft, fragrant and distinctive pine-cake grew into a celebrated traditional street confection of the city.

Steamed and sold by the slice, best eaten hot, the cake is soft and chewy with osmanthus and pork fat entwined, taken as a breakfast or teatime snack that pairs well with a pot of hot tea.

The soft chewy pine-cake texture, the distinctive sweetness of osmanthus and pork fat, and the folk origin of the "Short Man" name are the marks of Airen songgao.