Osmanthus cake facts for kids
Osmanthus cake (pronounced gway-hwa-gow in Chinese) is a yummy, traditional sweet treat from China. It's made with a special type of rice flour that makes it soft and a bit chewy. The cake gets its sweet smell and taste from tiny osmanthus flowers and honey, along with sugar crystals. It's often clear or light-colored, very sweet, and has a soft, slightly chewy texture that many people love!
The Story of Osmanthus Cake
Osmanthus cake first appeared in China a long, long time ago, during the Ming Dynasty (which was from 1368 to 1644). While we don't know the exact moment it was invented, there's a cool folk tale about how it might have started.
The story says that a famous poet named Yang Shen had a dream. In his dream, he visited the moon! He saw a beautiful palace and a giant, sweet-smelling osmanthus plant there. He picked some of its flowers and brought them back to Earth with him.
Later, towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, a street seller from a place called Xindu was inspired by this dream. His name was Liu Jixiang. He decided to gather fresh osmanthus flowers. He carefully took out their sweet-smelling oils, mixed them with sugar, and then added them to a special rice flour. This is how he created the delicious osmanthus cake we know today! Now, this cake is a famous specialty from Xindu.
