Traditional tasty treat can rekindle memories
Roufanshao
Roufanshao, or meat-stuffed mooncake, is a delicacy favored by Songjiang residents especially around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
To make roufanshao, chefs wrap a piece of pastry with a piece of water-oiled dough. They then rub the mixed dough with both hands and fold it into many layers.
After folding, they pinch the dough into many thick bars and roll out each bar into thin wrappings. They then wrap fresh minced meat with a piece of wrapping, rub and round it, and press it into a pumpkin shape. A plate of raw roufanshao is put into an oven and roasted till they turn gold in color.
A bite of a freshly-made roufanshao reveals the crispy pastry and intensely-flavored meat. The meat, mixed with green onion, can bring back memories of old Shanghai for many consumers.
“We Shanghai people are quite picky when buying meat-stuffed mooncakes. The crust should be very crispy and the meat smelling fragrant,” said one woman queuing up to buy at Lanqiao Canteen, a time-honored maker and seller of roufanshao in Songjiang Old Town.
The golden-colored roufanshao, with sesame seeds spread on its surface, is crispy in the outer layers, soft in the middle and juicy in the inner layers that are wet with the pork broth.
“To assure the pork meat has its original flavor, we don’t add soy sauce or other ingredients into the meat stuffing. Therefore, customers can taste the original good flavor of a roufanshao,” said Wu Xianghua, chief of the Fangsong Community canteen in Songjiang District.
The popularity of roufanshao remains high since it became available about a month ago.
“We sold out all the cakes before noon these days,” said one vendor in Songjiang Old Town.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the supply of roufanshao will be raised to meet demand. Customers will be able to buy the cakes until around the National Day holidays.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 24 this year.
Places to buy roufanshao
Lanqiao Canteen
Address: 2/F, 1336 Sixian Rd
思贤路1336号二楼
Western Canteen
Address: 2661 Xinsongjiang Rd
新松江路2661号
