The Wisteria Flower Pastry (Tengluo Bing) is one of Beijing’s celebrated traditional pastries enjoyed throughout the four seasons. It features multiple layers of flaky pastry with a delightfully sweet taste, tender texture, and the distinctive fragrant aroma of fresh wisteria flowers.
Historically, Beijing residents would create seasonal delicacies using flowers and flour during spring, with the Wisteria Flower Pastry being a prime example. Wisteria blooms abundantly in April, releasing a subtle yet lasting sweet fragrance that captivates the senses. Mid-spring, when purple wisteria cascades down trellises and fills courtyards with its perfume, marks the perfect season for enjoying these pastries.
These pastries come in two varieties: commercially produced and homemade. The finest commercial versions were traditionally made in Beijing’s old-style bakeries. Their signature “feather-flaming” wisteria pastries and rose pastries feature countless delicate layers. The pastry skin is snow-white and as thin as a cicada’s wing. When moved, the layers flutter up like goose feathers, hence the name “feather-flaking.” These pastries were considered among the finest offerings in traditional bakeries.
The late Qing Dynasty text “Annual Customs and Festivals of Beijing” notes: “In the third month, when elm seeds first appear, they are gathered and steamed, then mixed with sugar and flour to make elm seed cakes.” When made with wisteria flowers, they’re called wisteria pastries. Both are seasonal delicacies.”
Phoenix Lee https://chinese-tradition.com/wisteria-flower-pastry-a-traditional-beijing-spring-delicacy.html