【Winter Bowls】Fried Glutinous Millet Cakes
初雪落下，山西的冬日便有了轮廓。寒风吹彻街巷，却总有一种香气能破开冷空气的帷幕——那是滚油翻腾的金黄油糕。一口咬下，酥脆的外壳碎裂声里，滚烫的软糯甜香瞬间涌出，顷刻间便融化了冬日的所有棱角。
With the first snowfall, winter in Shanxi is etched in crisp lines. Cold winds sweep through its streets and lanes, yet a certain warmth persists—a fragrance that cuts through the chill: golden fried cakes sizzling in oil, their sweet, soft heat melting winter’s edges in a single bite.
在山西，油糕特别选用了蒸熟的黄米面(由黍子磨粉而成），用巧手揉捏成团，包裹进或甜或咸的馅心，滑入滚油，在沸腾中迅速换上一身金灿灿的盔甲。出锅时，外皮酥脆到极致，手指轻碰就簌簌掉渣，可内里却依然保持着黄米面特有的软韧与黏糯。这一脆一糯、一刚一柔的反差，正是油糕让人魂牵梦萦的奥义。
In Shanxi, the making of these fried cakes begins with a special steamed broomcorn millet flour—ground from local millet grains—that is kneaded by deft hands into pliable dough. Wrapped around sweet or savory fillings, each piece slips into bubbling oil, where it swiftly cloaks itself in a glistening, golden armor. Fresh from the wok, the crust is exquisitely crisp, crumbling at the slightest touch, while inside, it remains soft, chewy, and tender—true to the nature of millet flour. This very contrast—the crisp versus the yielding, the firm versus the soft—holds the secret to why these cakes linger so hauntingly in one’s memory.
油糕虽出身朴素，却有一副“百变面孔”。甜口的红豆沙、枣泥馅，是年节里最受宠的甜蜜担当；若填入时蔬素馅，又摇身变为咸香暖胃的菜糕。更有那技艺精巧的泡泡油糕，以猪油与滚水和面，入油后神奇地膨松开来，表面绽开无数晶莹透亮的薄泡，酥松如蝉翼，入口即化，唯留一缕甜香在齿间萦绕。还有一种被称为“黄金万两”的黄米枣糕，炸得通体金黄，外皮酥脆，当年晋商远行前必要吃上一块，求的是生意如黄金流动的好彩头，暖的是奔赴前程的胆气与雄心。
Though humble in origin, these fried cakes boast a “versatile face.” Sweet fillings like red bean or date paste are the beloved stars of festive seasons; when stuffed with seasonal vegetables or savory fillings, they transform into warming, savory vegetable cakes. Then there are the skillfully made bubble cakes, where lard and boiling water are kneaded into the dough, causing them to puff up magically in the oil, their surfaces blossoming with countless translucent, thin bubbles, crispy as cicada wings, melting on the tongue and leaving only a lingering sweetness. Another variety, called “Ten Thousand Taels of Gold,” is a millet and date cake fried to a golden hue with a crispy crust. In the past, Shanxi merchants would always eat one before long journeys, seeking the auspicious wish for business to flow like gold, warming their courage and ambition as they set out.
