Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People, Volume 9

Take ten quarts original: 斗 (dou). An ancient volume unit; in this period, one dou was roughly 2 liters. of fermented sour gruel and boil it down until seven pints original: 升 (sheng). One-tenth of a dou. remain. Use one pint of non-glutinous rice original: 粳米 (jingmi). A common variety of round-grain rice. to cook into a thick paste, lowering the fire once it reaches the consistency of congee. In the sixth month The peak of summer in the lunar calendar., when kneading original: 溲 (sou). one bushel original: 石 (shi). Equal to ten dou. of flour, add two pints of this mixture. In the winter, use four pints to make it.

Method for Making White Cakes

original: 白餅 (baibing). These are leavened wheat buns, a staple of the period.

For one bushel of flour, use seven to eight pints of white rice to make congee. Mix six to seven pints of white wine into the fermenting starter original: 酵 (jiao). A leavening agent or yeast-rich starter.. Place the wine over the fire until it reaches a "fish-eye boil" original: 魚眼沸 (yuyan fei). A traditional culinary term describing the stage of heating when small, round bubbles first appear, resembling the eyes of a fish.. Strain out the dregs and use the liquid to mix the flour. Once the dough has risen, the cakes may be formed.

Method for Making Roasted Cakes

original: 燒餅 (shaobing). Unlike the steamed white cakes, these are baked or roasted, often containing savory fillings.

Use one quart of flour, two catties original: 斤 (jin). A unit of weight; in this era, approximately 220–250 grams. of mutton, one small measure original: 合 (ge). One-tenth of a sheng. of scallion whites, fermented bean juice original: 豉汁 (chizhi). A savory liquid made from fermented black soybeans, used similarly to soy sauce., and salt. Stew the ingredients together until thoroughly cooked. Roast original: 炙 (zhi). the cakes; the dough should be allowed to rise before cooking.