Visiting temple fairs and tasting snacks is an important way to experience old Beijing’s folk culture, and Cream Fritters are one of the most representative sweet foods at temple fairs. This seemingly simple dough fritter has become a “top choice” in front of temple fair stalls with its perfect crispy-outside-tender-inside texture and refreshing cream aroma. Whether children hold hot fritters to satisfy their cravings, or tourists stop to taste them following the fragrance, Cream Fritters interpret the lively atmosphere of old Beijing temple fairs with straightforward deliciousness, and are an excellent choice for foreign tourists to explore Beijing’s festival foods.
The origin of Cream Fritters can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty. Initially, they were exquisite delicacies in the imperial kitchen. Later, with the spread of folk culture, they gradually entered street temple fairs and became popular festival snacks among the people. In the early years, Beijing’s temple fairs were mostly held during traditional festivals such as Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, with a variety of snacks such as fritters, sugar-coated hawthorns and fermented soybean milk on the stalls. Cream Fritters quickly won the public’s taste buds with their sweet and palatable flavor and fast production. Abandoning complex ingredients, they only rely on the simple combination of flour, eggs and cream, presenting the ultimate flavor through high-temperature frying. After hundreds of years of inheritance, they have always been an indispensable food symbol at temple fairs, carrying the festival memories of old Beijingers.
The soul of Cream Fritters lies in the perfect integration of “crispy-outside-tender-inside texture layers” and “rich cream aroma”, which together create their core trait of being sweet but not cloying and more flavorful after tasting. Authentic Cream Fritters have strict requirements for raw materials, and the ratio of ingredients directly determines the flavor direction: medium-gluten flour must be used, which is fine and free of impurities, enabling the outer layer of the fritter to form a crispy shell while the inside remains soft; eggs must be fresh and plump, and adding them to the dough can improve fluffiness, making the inside of the fritter full of fine air holes for a tender texture; animal light cream is selected for its pure and non-irritating aroma, seasoned with a small amount of sugar to highlight the original cream flavor and avoid greasiness, making the overall flavor more mild.
The production process seems simple, but every step of kneading dough, proofing and frying requires exquisite craftsmanship, especially the control of frying heat, which directly determines whether the fritter can achieve a crispy-outside-tender-inside effect. First, knead and proof the dough: add eggs, melted butter (or light cream), a small amount of warm water and sugar to medium-gluten flour, knead repeatedly until the dough is smooth and elastic. Butter can further enhance the aroma and crispness, making the outer layer of the fritter easier to crisp. Cover with a damp cloth and proof for 40 minutes. A fully proofed dough has excellent ductility and can quickly rebound after being pressed, avoiding hard cores during frying.
Shaping and frying are the key steps to achieving the flavor of Cream Fritters. For shaping, take the proofed dough, divide it into evenly sized pieces (about 20 grams each), and gently press with the palm into round cakes about 1 centimeter thick, with slightly thinner edges and a little thicker middle. This ensures that the outer layer is crispy while the inside is fully cooked and remains soft during frying. For frying, pour a sufficient amount of peanut oil into the pot and heat it to 180-190℃, when fine oil bubbles appear on the oil surface. Put the raw round cakes into the pot in batches to avoid overcrowding.
During frying, gently turn the fritters with chopsticks to ensure even heating on all sides. Initially, the fritters will sink to the bottom of the pot. As the temperature rises, the internal air holes expand, the fritters will gradually float up, and the surface will slowly turn golden yellow, forming a thin and crispy shell. After frying for 3-4 minutes, when the fritters are golden all over, the outer layer swells with natural wrinkles, take them out and drain the oil gently to avoid damaging the crispy shell. The freshly baked Cream Fritters are fragrant, with a hot and crispy outer layer and a soft, juicy interior. The sweet aroma of cream mixes with the wheat aroma, bringing great satisfaction in every bite.
High-quality Cream Fritters have distinct characteristics: they are round and plump in shape, golden and shiny on the surface with natural wrinkled texture; they have an extreme texture layer—the outer layer is crispy and dry, making a “crunch” sound when bitten gently, thin but not hard, and the inside is soft and delicate without rough particles; in terms of flavor, the rich cream aroma runs through, with mild and non-cloying sweetness, and the wheat aroma and cream aroma blend with each other, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. The traditional way to eat them can be paired with sugar or honey according to preferences. Sprinkling a little sugar can enrich the sweet layers, and dipping in honey is more mild. However, most people prefer the original flavor to better highlight the true taste of Cream Fritters.
To taste the most authentic Cream Fritters, in addition to visiting temple fairs, time-honored brands adhering to traditional craftsmanship are also excellent choices. Huguosi Snacks (multiple branches) is a classic option. Its fritters have a crispy outer layer, soft interior, rich cream aroma and no greasiness, with high cost performance, allowing you to taste the same flavor as temple fairs daily; Jinfang Snacks (Ciqikou Store) uses solid ingredients for its Cream Fritters, with sufficient cream content and a more mellow texture, suitable for tourists who prefer strong flavors; if you happen to attend a temple fair, the snack stalls at Ditan Temple Fair and Longtan Temple Fair sell freshly fried Cream Fritters full of street charm. Matching with the lively atmosphere of the temple fair, you can better experience the folk customs of old Beijing.
There are several practical tips for tasting Cream Fritters to help foreign tourists better unlock this delicacy. First, eating time: it is best to eat immediately after frying, when the outer layer is crispest and the cream aroma is strongest. The crust will absorb moisture and become soft when cooled, greatly reducing the flavor; second, flavor adaptation: the original flavor is excellent enough. If you like a sweeter taste, you can搭配 a small amount of sugar, avoiding over-seasoning to cover the original cream flavor; third, eating precautions: the inside of freshly baked fritters is very hot, so you need to eat them in small bites to avoid scalding; fourth, matching suggestions: it can be paired with warm scented tea or soybean milk. The sweet drink can neutralize the greasiness of the fritters and make the taste buds more comfortable.
Beijing Cream Fritters have no complex ingredients or gorgeous appearance, but with their crispy-outside-tender-inside texture and pure cream aroma, they have become the most touching street flavor at temple fairs. They hide in the lively stalls of temple fairs, in the festival memories of old Beijingers, and interpret the ingenuity of Chinese cuisine in the simplest way. For foreign tourists, tasting Cream Fritters is not only a culinary enjoyment but also an immersive opportunity to experience old Beijing’s folk culture—in a bite of crispy, tender and sweet flavor, understand the festival warmth and street romance of this city.
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