At the turn of the year, Dingshisu, a specialty pastry in Anhui, enters its peak production and sales season. It’s regarded as an indispensable gift for visiting relatives and friends during the Spring Festival in the local area. The red wrapping paper adds a more festive flavor to the new year, and one bite leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth.

At a time-honored food factory in Wangcun Town, Shexian County, Xu Riming, a master with over 50 years of pastry-making experience, was busy making Dingshisu, with the aroma of sesame seeds mixed with malt sugar in the air. From stir-frying sesame seeds, stretching the sugar, spreading the flour, to kneading, shaping, and slicing, the authentic Dingshisu appears yellowish in its white color, and tastes sweet and crispy.

(Text/Video: Pan Cheng)