Sachima or Shaqima is a Chinese pastry found throughout the country. As in keeping with all pastry products there are many regional variations although it fundamentally has a common root. This product is reviewed extensively by Surhone et al., (2010). It was clearly an important delicacy in the Manchu dynasty as pastry shops catered for the many nobles who prized its flavour (Crossley, 1990).
The regional variations are perhaps the most interesting feature of this product although a ‘standard’ is found in Beijing. In rough translation, sachima is known as ‘sand his horse’ which is an image associated with the stable rather than the table. The pastry is said to come from North-Eastern China, probably with the Qing imperial household because they brought with them ideas, objects and foods which had culturally shaped their lives. Sachima is effectively a rice crispie bar but fried, dipped in syrups, dried berries and nuts and offered as a Chinese New Year Treat. I had a few as a callow postgraduate in Birmingham many years ago and reminded me then of how such simple fare could be made so appetising.
Some scientific exploration has been conducted on the product to understand its characteristics. The delicate flavour of Sachima has been explored using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC-MS) to reveal 37 compounds (Wang et al., 2011).
I include a recipe for the preparation of this product from the web-site asiaonlinerecipes.com:-
Ingredients:
- 136g plain flour (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 175 g honey
- 225 g sugar
- 250g water
- Oil for deep-frying
Preparation:
Mix the plain flour and baking powder together on a wooden board. Make a hole in the centre of the mixed flour, add the eggs and blend well. Knead the dough thoroughly until smooth. Roll the dough to make a pancake about 3 mm thick. Cut into 5 cm long thin strips. Flour the strips to ensure that they do not stick together.
Heat up a deep frying pan with the oil and deep-fry the thin strips in small batches for about 45 seconds or until they turn light golden. Remove, drain and place on absorbent paper. Mix the sugar, honey and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Simmer and stir until the mixture thickens like a sugar syrup. Add the thin strips and mix thoroughly until each strip is well coated with the syrup. Turn it out into a pre-greased cake tin and press to form a big piece. Cut into squares with a sharp knife when cool.
References
Crossley, P.K. (1990) Orphan Warriors: Three Manchu Generations and the End of the Qing World. Princeton University Press.
Surhone, L.M., Timpledon, M.T. Marseken, S.F. (2010) Sachima VDM Publ. 120 pages.
Wang, Y-r., Cui, C., Zhao, M-M (2011) Separation and Identification of Volatile Flavors of Sachima Using Solid-phase Microextraction Gas Chromatograph-mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Mod. Food Science & Technol. 2011-11.
Leave a Reply