4 Wonderful Wife Cakes

The wife cake originated in the Guangdong province, China. They are rumoured to be made by a street hawker’s wife. The street hawker sold his wife’s cakes to customers and it gained mass popularity. The cakes were named after the street hawker’s wife: ‘老婆饼’in chinese, translating to ‘Wife Biscuit’, which then turned into ‘wife cakes’. Another myth suggests that these Wife Cakes were made by a devoted husband. He made these cakes and sold them to earn money to buy back his wife who sold herself into slavery.

Wife cakes aren’t actually cakes. Instead, they are actually a thin, flaky pastry wrapped around a sweet and chewy winter melon filling. They taste best when served warm and with a cup of tea. It is made with a frozen winter melon paste and using oil, cake flour and lard, the outside layer is carefully moulded into the desired shape. The wife cake is soft, delicate and it presents a rich, sweet flavour. It serves as an exquisite afternoon snack and can be bought in many traditional bakeries.