Fookchow Kong Paeng 福州光饼

福 州 光 饼

光饼是福州传统食品之一，另一个名称是征东饼，材料简单，只需面粉、水及面种，再加盐或加糖。

咸光饼皮脆而结实、甜光饼较松软，却比法国面包还硬。

根据战国时代史料记载，戚继光将军由俘虏袋里搜出藏着竹叶包裹的饭团干粮而获得灵感，改以面团制成饼，在饼的中间开个小孔，再以绳子将干粮串成一串让军队带着打仗，解决了行军的伙食问题。为了纪念这位将军，以戚继光的名字将这种干粮称为‘光’饼，成为福州人钟爱的一种传统面饼。

住在双溪比力的汤祥和向叔叔拜师学了这门传统手艺，在福州人居多的家乡打出名堂。他说：“制作光饼最重要是炉。”

从外形看，烘烤福州光饼的烤炉有点像北印度人烤丹奴里烤鸡及naan的烤炉，不同的是它内部以一个高约两尺、瓮口直径约十寸耐高温的陶瓮裹上一层厚厚的水泥，再以生铁围在外层制成。

祥和将点燃的火炭放入烤炉内，再以风扇隔着一块木板将风力导入炉内吹。大约四十分钟后，整个炉被烤得热烘烘，他将一块以盐水浸湿的布在炉内周围抹一遍，只见大量蒸汽随着‘吱吱’声由炉口冒出，其热度可想而知。

祥和告诉我们：“烘之前以盐水抹一遍，光饼不会黏到之前烘时留下的饼碎。陶瓮的热度够，光饼才能够粘贴在瓮壁。”

只见他将炉内贴满光饼之后，再用毛刷沾盐水轻轻在饼上扫一次，然后即刻用一块湿布封着炉口，使炉内温度提高却保持潮湿，作用是让光饼表层快速膨胀。待光饼烧至金黄，祥和左手拿筛右手拿勾，将烘好的光饼一一取出置于盘内，读小学的长子马上在饼皮上喷水以让热度稳定，避免烘烤过度变焦，饼皮也因此香脆但不会太干。

忠于传统的全手工制福州光饼，有流传下去的价值。

Fookchow Kong Paeng

This is another famous biscuit of the Fookchows - the Kong Paeng. Another name for it is 'Ching Tung Biscuit' derived from the translation of 'Overpowering The Japanese'. It is in reference to the war won over a Japanese invasion during the Ming dynasty.

Ingredients used are simply flour, water and yeast before the addition of salt and sugar. Savoury Kong Paeng has a crispy exterior but it is firm, not flaky textured. The sweet Kong Paeng has a softer finishing quite in resemblance to the French loaf's texture.

How did the biscuit become synonymous with a Chinese general's name of Kong?

According to a tale related, this general was asked to lead his solders in a battle against foreign forces. For food rations, he was smart to have come up with the idea of churning out biscuits from the rice encased in bamboo leaves. In the centre of the baked biscuit, is a hole, in order for the biscuits to be strung together and worn around the neck. It was simply a good idea and when the battle was won, the biscuits acquired his name 'Kong' as an honour to him.

Mr. Teng Song Ho runs a famous bakery in the Sungai Pelek area. He learnt the art from his paternal uncle and believes the clay oven plays a very important role in the making of such biscuits. It bears a strong similarity to the tandoor oven used to bake the North Indian leavened bread - naan. The main difference lies in the interior of the oven which is fashioned slightly different from the tandoor.

Mr. Teng heated up some coals before placing into the oven's pit. An electric fan was switched on to help blow some air in, to fan up a better flame from afar, screened by a piece of thin plank. It takes 40 minutes for the heat to warm up the clay oven. Next, he wipes the interior of the oven's wall with a piece of cloth previously soaked in salt solution. A hissing sound jets out from the furnace and hisses its way up the oven's chimney. This step is necessary to prevent the next fresh batch of biscuits from picking up remnants of the last batch baked.

With a correct temperature, the biscuits will adhere itself to the oven's wall. He gives them the finishing touch by glazing them with brine using a pastry brush. A piece of wet cloth is stuffed into the oven to seal the opening. It keeps moisture in and biscuits baked tend to have a nice golden hue.

Finally, the cloth is removed and biscuits are arranged on a tray. His son, a young lad sprays water on the biscuits' surfaces to stop the heat and moisten it as well.

More efforts should be done to promote traditional specialties as lip-smacking good lineage of a certain heritage should not be forgotten and left in the lurch.