Chinese Yam
Red Dates
2. Supplementary ingredients: flour, white sugar, osmanthus flowers, and oil tofu skin. 3. Soak the oil tofu skin in cold water for a short while. 4. Remove the pits from the jujubes and cut them in half. (Soak the red dates in warm water in advance if needed.) 5. Peel the Chinese yam, gently pat it, and cut it into small pieces. 6. Dice the preserved fruits and set aside. 7. Mix the jujubes, preserved fruits, a little white sugar, and Chinese yam evenly. 8. Add a small amount of water and flour, and stir until the mixture feels sticky to the touch. 9. Wrap the mixed filling with the oil tofu skin. 10. Steam in a steamer for 20–30 minutes. 11. Remove while hot, place on a sushi bamboo mat, and shape into a round roll or triangle. Allow to cool, then slice into 2 cm thick pieces.
12. Place the wok on the stove, heat the oil to 70% hot, then add the Júan Guo. 13. Fry until golden brown and remove. (The original recipe says to fry until scorched yellow, but I find golden brown more visually appealing.) 14. Place the wok back on the stove, add oil, water, osmanthus flowers, and white sugar. Simmer over low heat to create a syrup. 15. Pour the fried Júan Guo into the wok, coat evenly with the syrup, and sprinkle with white sesame seeds. 16. Characteristics: Soft, chewy, sweet, and delicious.
