Black sesame roll
芝麻卷
“Steaming a cake, the one rule is never lift the lid.”
Ingredientsserves 4
Equipment
- A flat metal tray, a 20 by 25 cm baking tray or 糕盤, that fits in the steamer
- A scraper to loosen the sheet
Method
- Toast the black sesame powder in a dry pan over low heat for a minute or two until fragrant; untoasted, the roll is grey instead of black and has no flavour.
- Blend the sesame, water chestnut starch, sugar and a cup and a half (360 ml) of water until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve; sieving is what makes the roll silky, and an unsieved batter is grainy.
- Oil the flat metal tray and set it in the steamer over boiling water to heat.
- Stir the batter (the starch settles), pour a layer 2 to 3 mm deep into the hot tray, cover and steam on high for four to six minutes until set and translucent.
- Lift the tray out, cool for two minutes, loosen the edge with a scraper and roll the sheet up tightly from the short side while it is still warm; a sheet rolled cold tears, and a surface that has dried will not stick to itself, so roll at once.
- Steam the rest of the batter the same way, stirring each time; scatter a few white sesame seeds over the batter before steaming if you like.
- Trim the ends and cut into 3 cm lengths. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Take care
- Contains sesame. No egg, milk or wheat. The metal tray is very hot when it comes out of the steamer.
The story
Rolled up, the 芝麻卷 looks like a roll of camera film, which is what Hong Kong children called it; through the 1970s and 80s it was a teahouse dim sum dessert and a herbal-tea-shop counter item, and HK01 calls it a childhood plaything. It is on HK01's list of ten disappearing snacks, and once you own a box of water chestnut starch it is one of the easiest things among the steamed cakes to make.
Same wall
Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.