flipFeng li su — pineapple cakes
Feng li su — pineapple cakes
Why this dish? The pineapple cake is THE Taiwanese gift that people take on trips and offer at reunions. For a filmmaker like Ang Lee, constantly between Taiwan, New York, and the rest of the world, these small cakes that keep and travel are a piece of the island slipped into a suitcase — a gift that says 'I am thinking of my loved ones.'
Small golden, buttery shortbread pastries filled with a dense, sweet and tangy pineapple jam. Compact, they keep and transport well — the quintessential Taiwanese souvenir treat.
Every time I came back from a long shoot, I brought a box of these cakes — that's what we do here, we never return empty-handed. The secret is the filling: a pineapple cooked long until it becomes almost an amber paste, neither too sweet nor too sour, exactly the right balance. The pastry should melt and crumble at the same time. We share them with tea, we talk, and the journey fades away.
- •Ripe pineapple — one, very fragrant (jam)
- •Sugar — a little (sweetness, preservation)
- •Wheat flour — as needed (shortcrust pastry)
- •Butter — generously (softness)
- •Egg yolk — a few (binder and glaze)
Feng li su — pineapple cakes
Small golden, buttery shortbread pastries filled with a dense, sweet and tangy pineapple jam. Compact, they keep and transport well — the quintessential Taiwanese souvenir treat.
Why this dish? The pineapple cake is THE Taiwanese gift that people take on trips and offer at reunions. For a filmmaker like Ang Lee, constantly between Taiwan, New York, and the rest of the world, these small cakes that keep and travel are a piece of the island slipped into a suitcase — a gift that says 'I am thinking of my loved ones.'
Every time I came back from a long shoot, I brought a box of these cakes — that's what we do here, we never return empty-handed. The secret is the filling: a pineapple cooked long until it becomes almost an amber paste, neither too sweet nor too sour, exactly the right balance. The pastry should melt and crumble at the same time. We share them with tea, we talk, and the journey fades away.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe pineapple — one, very fragrant (jam)
- Sugar — a little (sweetness, preservation)
- Wheat flour — as needed (shortcrust pastry)
- Butter — generously (softness)
- Egg yolk — a few (binder and glaze)
Ingredients
- Fresh pineapple — 1 ripe (about 600 g flesh), grated (filling)
- Sugar — 60 g (jam)
- Maltose or honey — 1 tbsp (sticky texture)
- Butter — 120 g, softened (shortcrust pastry)
- Icing sugar — 40 g (pastry sweetness)
- Flour — 200 g (pastry)
- Almond or milk powder — 30 g (softness)
- Egg yolk — 1 (binder)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
Method
- Cook the grated pineapple with sugar and maltose over low heat, stirring, until a very thick amber paste forms; let cool and form into small balls.
- Cream the softened butter with icing sugar, add egg yolk, then flour, almond powder, and salt to make a soft dough; rest in the fridge for 30 min.
- Divide the dough, flatten, wrap a ball of pineapple jam in the center and seal into a log shape.
- Press into small rectangular molds (or shape by hand) for neat cakes.
- Bake at 170°C for about 18-20 minutes, turning halfway, until golden blond.
- Cool completely: the pastry firms up and becomes crumbly.
How it was made : Taiwan was a major pineapple producer since colonial times; the feng li su became established in the 20th century as a lucky gift because 'pineapple' (ong-lai in Taiwanese) sounds like 'prosperity arrives.' Traditional versions sometimes used wax gourd to soften the pineapple's acidity.
The contemporary twist : A hint of yuzu zest in the jam, and individual wrapping styled like film stock for a nod to the director.
Ang Lee · Charactorium
