Mung bean cake is a famous Beijing-style seasonal pastry. It is divided into northern and southern styles based on flavor. The northern style, known as Beijing style, is made without any oil, resulting in a soft texture but lacking oiliness; it is also called "dry bean cake." The southern style, including Suzhou and Yangzhou styles, requires the addition of oil, resulting in a soft and delicate texture.
Mung bean cake is a traditional folk food for the Dragon Boat Festival. The legend of eating mung bean cake during the Dragon Boat Festival is related to commemorating Wu Zixu, a minister of the Wu Kingdom during the late Spring and Autumn Period. Mung beans are sweet and cool in nature, possessing heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, which can relieve summer irritability. Furthermore, the word "cake" is a homophone for "high" , symbolizing positive progress and soaring success.
