Misandao facts for kids
| Type | Pastry |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China |
| Main ingredients | Flour, baking soda, vegetable oil, maltose |
Misandao (Chinese: 蜜三刀; pinyin: mìsāndāo; literally "three cuts of honey") is a yummy fried cake from China. It's a traditional sweet treat from Xuzhou! This special snack is covered in a sweet glaze made from malt sugar.
Contents
How Misandao is Made
Misandao starts with a few simple ingredients. These include flour, baking soda (which helps things rise), and vegetable oil.
Making the Dough
The dough for Misandao is made in two parts. First, about a quarter of the flour is mixed with water, baking soda, and malt sugar. This mixture is left to ferment. This part will become the crispy outside layer of the cake.
The rest of the flour is mixed with water. This forms the inner, softer part of the dough.
Shaping and Cutting
Both types of dough are then pressed into flat, rectangular shapes. The inner dough is placed between two layers of the outer dough. This creates a "sandwich" of dough.
Next, this sandwiched dough is pressed even thinner. It is then cut into long strips. These strips are folded and cut three times. This creates four equal pieces from each strip.
Frying and Glazing
The shaped dough pieces are then fried in hot vegetable oil. They turn golden brown and become crispy. Once they are perfectly fried, they are taken out of the oil.
While still warm, the fried pieces are dipped into a sweet malt sugar glaze. This gives Misandao its famous shiny, sweet coating. After glazing, the Misandao is ready to be enjoyed!
The Story Behind the Name
The name "Misandao" means "three cuts of honey." There's a fun story about how it got its name. It's said that a famous Chinese writer and poet named Su Shi (also known as Su Dongpo) named it.
The story goes that Su Shi was served this cake soon after he had made three cuts into a wall with a knife. Perhaps he was practicing his calligraphy or just being playful! The name stuck, and that's how this sweet treat got its unique name.
Misandao in Pop Culture
Misandao is so well-known that it even inspired a Chinese punk band! The band chose the name "Misandao" after this delicious confection. This shows how popular and iconic this traditional snack is in China.
