Beauty’s Tongue

The name may sound a little scary, but it’s actually a tongue-shaped cake. "Beauty" here refers to Xi Shi — one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (approximately from 771 to 476 BC) in Zhuji City, Zhejiang province. There is a prevailing legend about her beauty. One day while she leaned over a balcony to enjoy the view of the lake, the fish found her so attractive that they forgot to swim and sank away from the surface.

Beauty’s Tongue is named after Xi Shi because it appears snow-white and tender, just like Xi Shi’s tongue. Beauty’s Tongue is prepared out of finely ground glutinous rice flour wrapping, jujube paste, sugar, and various fruit jams. Shaped in a tongue-shaped mold, Beauty’s Tongue came into being. Beauty’s Tongue can be boiled in water or fried in oil; both can bring out an extraordinary flavor.