Sweet heart cake
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A sweet heart cake (老婆餅 or lo po pang) is a traditional Chinese pastry made with winter melon and almond paste.
There are many classes open today in Hong Kong for making Sweet heart cakes. It is because the Sweet Heart Cake, though it has such a long history, is still appetising to many people in Hong Kong. Therefore, people, as well as professional chefs, are modifying this delicious food to make it more modern and taste better.
One of the most renowned sweet heart cake shop is called the "恆香老餅家" (Heng Heung Cake Shop, Lit. Perpetually Aromatic Old Cake Shop) situated in Yuen Long, New Territories.
The legend of sweet heart cakes
A long time ago in feudal China, there was a couple that lived a very poor life. They loved each other and lived in a small village.
Suddenly, a mysterious disease spread. The husband's father became very sick. The couple spent all of their money in order to treat the man's father, but he was still sick. The wife sold herself as a slave in exchange for money to buy medicine for her father-in-law.
Once the husband learnt about what his wife did, he made a cake filled with winter melon and with a crispy crust. His cake became so popular that he was able to earn enough money to buy his wife back.