Yulan Cake

Yulan Cake [Photo from wuxinews.com.cn]

Dated back tothe reigning period of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), this original Wuxi snack is named after the magnolia (Yulan in Chinese). The crisp skin, soft and waxy stuffing, sweet and salty, have become one of the favorites among Wuxi locals.

Yulan cake is peculiar to Wuxi, with a history of more than 160 years. People would have thought it’s a dessert in the shape of a flower. Actually, it is more like a large sweet meatball that hasa very enjoyable taste, with a crisp golden skin, and soft and tight-knit glutinous rice fillings.

In fact, you can find it in nearly every snack shop in Wuxi, where Yulan Cake is usually taken as breakfast.