Zaotang facts for kids
Zaotang (which means "hearth candy" in Chinese) is a special kind of candy. People in China use it as an offering to the Kitchen God around the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. This happens just before the exciting Chinese New Year celebrations!
Zaotang is made from maltose, a type of sugar. Depending on its shape, it has different names. If it's a stick-shaped candy, about 2 cm thick with a hollow center, it's called Guandong tang. If it's shaped like a melon, sometimes with sesame seeds on top, it's called Tanggua.
There's a cool legend about the Kitchen God. It's said that the Jade Emperor (a powerful god in Chinese mythology) sends the Kitchen God to Earth. His job is to watch over every family. Then, on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, the Kitchen God goes back to Heaven. He reports to the Jade Emperor about what each family did all year. This day is known as the Kitchen God Festival or Little New Year.
People offer Zaotang to the Kitchen God for a fun reason. They hope the sweet candy will make his words sweet when he talks to the Jade Emperor. Or, they hope it will make his teeth stick together so he can't say anything bad!
Zaotang is usually made only around the Kitchen God Festival. This is when most parts of China are very cold. The candies are often sold outside on the street. This keeps them from melting. The tiny bubbles inside the candy give it a special crispy and tasty crunch!
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Why People Offer Zaotang
The tradition of offering gifts to the Kitchen God is very old. It goes all the way back to the Han dynasty. An old book from that time tells a story. A man offered a special animal to the Kitchen God. Because of this, his family was blessed. They stayed rich and famous for three generations!
Later, during the time of the Three Kingdoms, people offered wine to the Kitchen God.
During the Song Dynasty, people started using Zaotang as an offering. They wanted to make the Kitchen God's words sweet. This way, he wouldn't say bad things to the Jade Emperor. Some also believe that when Zaotang melts, it gets sticky. This could make the Kitchen God's teeth stick together! Then he couldn't talk when reporting to the Jade Emperor. Even today, people in China still follow this tradition. They make Zaotang every year for the Kitchen God Festival.
Legends of the Kitchen God
People have many different stories about the Kitchen God. Some experts say the Kitchen God appeared after people started using brick stoves. They believe the Fire God, who was worshipped much earlier, was the first form of the Kitchen God. So, the legends often connect to fire or stoves.
Ancient Rulers as the Kitchen God
Some old writings say the Kitchen God was once an ancient emperor. For example, one book says that after Yan Emperor died, he became the Kitchen God. He was in charge of fire when he was alive. Another book says the Kitchen God was Li Zhurong. He was the son of Zhuanxu, who was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. These stories show that ancient Chinese people thought the Kitchen God was linked to fire.
The Kitchen God as a Spirit
Some ancient people believed the Kitchen God was a spirit living in the stove. One old text mentions a spirit in the stove named Ji. Ji refers to an old hairstyle for women. So, some thought the Kitchen God was a beautiful woman in red clothes. Other stories say the Kitchen God was born as a human. Right after birth, he walked into the stove! Some even say the Kitchen God is a couple. The male god was Su Jili, and the female was Bojia.
The Kitchen God as a Human Man
This is the most popular story about the Kitchen God today. It says the Kitchen God was once a man named Zhang Chan. He lived a happy life with his wife. But he left her and later lost everything. One cold winter day, he was begging for food. He went to a house where the kind hostess gave him dinner. During the meal, he realized she was his former wife. Feeling very ashamed, he jumped into the stove.
The Jade Emperor felt sorry for him. So, he made Zhang Chan the Kitchen God. His new job was to watch over every family on Earth. He had to report all the good and bad things people did. But people didn't fully trust him because of his past. So, they offer Zaotang to him. This reminds him to say only sweet words about them to the Jade Emperor!
How Zaotang is Made
Making Zaotang is a bit tricky, even though the tools seem simple. There are five main steps. You need a big stew pot, a large jar, a stick, and a kitchen board.
Ingredients for Zaotang
Zaotang can be made from different grains. These include millet, barnyard millet, rice, corn, or barley malt. The best choice is sticky proso millet. It helps make the sticky mixture faster.
First, the ingredients must be washed very well. This cleans away all the husks and dirt. Then, they are put into the stew pot for boiling.
Boiling the Sugar
Boiling is when you heat the ingredients. You heat them until all the water is gone. This forms a smooth, sticky mixture. The most important part here is controlling the heat. If it's too hot, the sugar will be overcooked. It won't have that crispy taste. If it's not hot enough, the sugar won't be sticky at all.
When the sugar starts to become a thick paste, it's called sugar paste. At this point, the mixture can be very hot, around 158°C to 160°C. Experienced Zaotang makers use a stick to check it. If they can pull a white, clear sugar "wire" from the paste, and the mixture stops bubbling, it's ready for the next step!
Cooling the Sugar Paste
After boiling, the hot sugar paste needs to be taken out of the pot. It's put into the jar to cool down. When the paste reaches about 80°C, it's ready for the next step: kneading.
Kneading the Paste
Kneading the sugar paste makes it smoother and denser. This step needs a lot of energy and skill. If the paste gets too cold, it will become hard and solid. Usually, one pot makes about 25 kg of sugar paste. But only about 3 kg can be kneaded at a time. This part is a race against time!
Pulling the Candy
The last step needs two people. They pull the paste, fold it, and pull it again. They repeat this many times. This process creates a special honeycomb structure inside the candy. After that, the paste can be cut into rectangular or melon shapes. Then it's stored in the fridge to keep it fresh.
