Sachima


Sachima, also called sàqímǎ or shāqímǎ. Its decoration and flavor vary in different regional Chinese cuisine, but the appearance of all versions is essentially the same. It is made of fluffy strands of fried batter bound together with a stiff sugar syrup, showing similarity to American Rice Krispies Treats.

Regional variations

Manchu

In Manchu cuisine originally, sachima is a sweet snack. It mainly consists of flour, butter, and rock sugar. It is now popular in mainland China among children and adults.

Cantonese

The Cantonese pastry version of sachima is slightly sweet. It is also made of essentially the same ingredients as the other varieties of sachima. It is often sprinkled with sesame seeds, raisins or dried coconut. The Cantonese variety of sachima ranges from chewy to crunchy in texture. Most overseas Chinatowns offer the Cantonese style of the pastry. It is commonly found in Hong Kong.

Fujian

Many of the Fujian distribution companies manufacture packaged versions of Sachima. This version has sesame and is made of wheat flour, vegetable oil, egg, milk, granular sugar, and malt sugar. The taste is comparatively plain compared to the more sweetened Cantonese version.

Myanmar (Burma)

A similar dish called mayway mont, consisting of puffed grains of early ripened glutinous rice congealed into a mass with jaggery syrup, is a popular traditional Burmese snack or mont.