I promised @Banjo_Chocolate (a Twitter follower) that I would blog about Chinese Wife Cakes a.k.a 老婆餅 (Canto: lou po beng; Mando: lao po bing).

To the Western world it is a strange name to give to a cake, but in the Eastern world it’s isn’t that strange at all. You get pineapple buns that don’t have pineapples in it. You get mapo tofu that’s supposed to resemble a pock-faced old woman. Geez I could go on forever about the strange names of Chinese food!! Hahahah!!

There’s a lot of stories that is believed to be the reason for the name of Wife Cakes… But I don’t know them all… So here’s the Wiki page to go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetheart_cake. 

Most Wife Cakes from Asia are made in Macau, and apparently the ones from Macau are the best. They are mainly popular in the South of China. These ones I bought are from China Town and imported from Asia. You can even find them in a Chinese bakery.

Wife Cakes imported from Asia

The back of the box – aaa, it expires on my birthday XD

10 in the box

It’s made with melon paste and surrounded by a very light pastry. This actually has some coconut in it which you can taste as you chew it. The melon actually tastes a bit sour, but the sweetness of the pastry makes up for it.

Fluffy light pastry on the outside

Melon paste and other ingredients in the inside

I quite like these actually but I don’t buy them regularly. It’s a snack that can be enjoyed throughout the day with a cup of tea or coffee. ^_^

Price: £2.99

Where to buy: Any Chinese store that has them in stock, I got these from Yang Guang Supermarket

p.s. Support @Banjo_Chocolate to bring back Banjo Chocolate – I can’t remember the chocolate bar, but I’m sure others will do!!
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/bring-back-banjo-chocolate-bar-support-and-sign-this-petition-to-get-banjo-back-into-production
Here’s her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Back-Banjo-chocolate-bar/269555819831128