Some delicious foreign pastry in old Shanghai.

Western desserts are now the mainstay of all afternoon teas in Shanghai. On a sunny afternoon, a dessert cake, a cup of coffee or a cup of tea, enjoying the free time, is an indescribable comfort.

When did afternoon tea begin in Shanghai? I really can't find any data to verify. But in Hong Kong, afternoon tea is a very important meal. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, people always stop what they are doing, buy a cup of milk tea or pineapple oil coffee or egg tart and enjoy their own time.

People always talk about the taste of Shanghai. What is Shanghai flavor? In fact, the literal explanation is very simple, that is, the taste of Shanghai.

Shanghai is an immigrant city, bringing together people from all over the country. Naturally, food comes from all over the country. But no matter where you come from, when you come to Shanghai, you will definitely make some changes and improvements to make it more suitable for Shanghai people's tastes, and then take root here and become a Shanghai style.

In addition to Shanghai-style western food, there is actually Shanghai-style West Point. These delicious west points are all imported from abroad, and after continuous improvement and modification, they eventually become unique west points in Shanghai, including some invented by Shanghainese themselves.

Chestnut Cake

Before liberation, there was no low-gluten flour in Shanghai. Without low-gluten flour, there is no way to make a cake embryo, so Shanghainese came up with something else to replace the traditional cake embryo, that is, chestnuts, which are mashed, seasoned, made into cakes, topped with cream, and a chestnut cake is made. Digging a spoonful with a spoon, the thick chestnut fragrance and cream fragrance filled the mouth. Not to mention this satisfaction.

Where is the most famous chestnut cake? Commander Kay bakery, of course. This is their signature product. Many old Shanghainese come from far away to taste this chestnut cake. Even many old Shanghainese who have settled abroad will come here to taste this delicious West Point every time they return home, ranging from snacks to big ones.

Chestnut core is more fragrant than traditional cake blank, but it also has a fuller feeling. Don't overeat, or you'll eat badly.

Now Commander Kay has also introduced Nestle Chestnut Cake, which is a chestnut cake with cocoa butter. Tastes more delicious, which is also my favorite.

Butterfly firecracker

I believe everyone will be familiar with the Peace Hotel on Nanjing West Road, but when it comes to fame, its bakery seems to be more memorable than the hotel. Why? It's because a western-style pastry-Butterfly Crisp, produced by the bakery of Peace Hotel, has penetrated into the hearts of Shanghainese.

Butterfly crisp was spread to Shanghai from France, and it was called ear cake in France. After it spread to Shanghai, Shanghainese named it "Butterfly Crisp" because it was shaped like a butterfly.

Butterfly Crisp, as one of the representative cakes, tastes crisp and full of butter. In order to cater to the tastes of Shanghainese, the Peace Hotel removed the sugar originally sprinkled on it. This taste is not so sweet and greasy, which meets the requirements of people who pay attention to light taste now. Be careful when eating butterfly cakes. You must put your hand under your mouth and swallow it. Crispy butterfly cakes will fall off. If you don't, it will be embarrassing.

However, butterfly cakes in Peace Hotel are not easy to buy. There are too many people waiting in line, so friends who want to taste it should be mentally prepared.

Milk cube

As the signboard of Ruby, a British West Point brand, the reputation and taste of Milk Cube really firmly occupy the hearts of every Shanghainese.

I remember 1998, I worked in Nanjing West Road. At 5 o'clock every evening, the entrance of Ruby Hotel on Wujiang Road is always crowded with people. Because the cake in the ruby was discounted after 5 o'clock, many people came to buy it. Almost all of them just got off work at this time, and naturally they were crowded with people.

Milk cube is a kind of milk cake cut into small pieces. Ruby's fresh milk cube, fresh cream is delicate, not very sweet, just right. The cake blank below is soft and delicious, and it will never get tired of eating. When we were young, this kind of fresh milk cube was a luxury, and eating one was sure to boast for a week.

Samosa

Don't think that West Point is sweet. The authentic old-fashioned West Point of Laoda Factory is really "salty".

Crispy pastry wraps the curry beef stuffing inside. When I first came out of the oven, it smelled delicious. Bite down, full of curry beef flavor, very delicious. It's full of meat, and it's really fragrant.

Different from Thai curry and Indian curry outside now, curry beef in curry jiaozi is authentic old Shanghai flavor, which tastes like curry potatoes cooked at home when I was a child, especially nostalgic.

This delicious West Point was once banned for some reasons, and was later re-launched by the old factory. After the public learned the news, many old Shanghainese lined up to buy, and the scene was very hot.

Other taboos

I'm afraid many young people don't know what this name means now. When you say this name, many people will ask you, what is this?

No wonder this kind of West Point is rarely sold outside. Only some old bakeries can buy it.

So, what is this other taboo?

In fact, sliced bread is a kind of western-style pastry baked with cream. It tastes crisp. It has a strong creamy taste and a yellow oily taste when bitten. Whether it is with coffee, tea, or as a snack at ordinary times, it is very suitable.

Where is the most famous? Of course, the time-honored bakeries in Shanghai and the bakeries in Jing 'an are enduring. Even toothless grandparents often buy some and have fun.

Hadu

This name is probably even more puzzling, isn't it, Hatou? What is this?

If explained directly, Hadou is the general name for puffs outside now. If you explain it this way, I believe many people will understand.

The hadou in the old Shanghai population basically refers to the West Point with a layer of chocolate sauce and cream inside. This is really my heart. When I was a child, I would beg my parents to buy me one as long as I passed by Commander Kay or the old factory. Maybe children are not resistant to chocolate. The entrance of the bean is soft, and the chocolate on it and the cream in the middle, plus the taste of the bean itself, are completely satisfied.

Compared with the puffs made in many shops now, the bean is sweet but not greasy and tastes excellent. Sure enough, "ginger is still old and spicy."

If time can go back, I would like to sit on the second floor of Commander Kai on Nanjing West Road in the afternoon, order a cup of iced coffee with cream, a chestnut cake, a bucket, light a cigarette and enjoy Shanghai-style afternoon tea like Lao Kele.