Beijing Purple Sweet Potato Pastry — Traditional Healthy Snack
With its charming color and naturally sweet flavor, the Purple Sweet Potato Pastry has quickly become a new internet-famous treat in Beijing, preserving the old flavors while bringing a refreshing new twist that makes people fall in love at first sight.
1. Origin and History
Purple Sweet Potato Pastry is an innovative version of the traditional Beijing pastry known as “Shu Bing,” created in the early 21st century. Beijing pastry masters replaced the traditional white sweet potato filling with nutrient-rich purple sweet potato. This kept the classic Beijing pastry-making techniques intact while catering to modern health-conscious tastes.
2. Cultural Significance
For the new generation of Beijingers, Purple Sweet Potato Pastry represents a fusion of tradition and innovation. Its striking purple color makes it especially popular among young people, and it’s often given as a gift symbolizing good fortune — the Chinese phrase “Zi Qi Dong Lai” (purple aura from the east) represents blessings and prosperity.
3. Ingredient Highlights
The best pastries use high-mountain purple sweet potatoes from Yunnan, known for their delicate texture and rich anthocyanin content. The crust blends low-gluten flour with glutinous rice flour, ensuring a crispy outside and soft, chewy inside. The key lies in the filling — mashed purple sweet potato mixed with honey and light cream, which enhances the smoothness without masking its natural sweetness.
4. Preparation Process
Pastry masters steam and peel the purple sweet potatoes, mash them, and stir-fry with honey before letting them cool. A water-oil dough is wrapped around a flaky dough, rolled into thin sheets, then rolled up and folded three times to create layers. The purple sweet potato filling is wrapped inside, sealed with the seam facing down, pressed into patterns with a mold, brushed with egg wash, and baked for 20 minutes until the surface turns golden.
5. Flavor and Texture
The most delightful surprise is the crisp outer shell that shatters like golden butterfly wings with the gentlest bite. Inside, the filling is warm, smooth, and creamy — perfectly blending the natural sweetness of purple sweet potato with a subtle milky aroma. When hot, the filling flows like lava; when cooled, it becomes pleasantly bouncy and chewy.
6. How to Enjoy I
The best way to enjoy this treat is with a pot of jasmine tea — the tea’s floral fragrance balances the pastry’s sweetness. The elegant way to eat it is to gently catch the crumbs in your hand and take small bites: first savor the crispy crust, then the soft filling. When chilled, the filling takes on a silky ice cream-like texture for a whole new experience.
7. Recommended Places
Here are some of the best places to try Purple Sweet Potato Pastry in Beijing: Huguosi Snacks (traditional method), Zi Guang Yuan (modern molten-centered version), Dao Xiang Cun (gift box set), and San Yuan Mei Yuan (low-sugar version). They usually cost about 3–6 RMB each, or 30–50 RMB per gift box. You can say: “Fresh from the oven, please, and choose the darker-colored ones.”
8. Travel Tips
In English, it’s called “Purple Sweet Potato Pastry.” The best time to try it is during afternoon tea hours (2:00–5:00 pm), when they are often freshly baked. Vegetarians can choose a version without cream. The vivid purple color comes naturally from anthocyanins — no artificial coloring is needed. They can be stored at room temperature for 3 days; to restore crispiness, reheat them in an oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 minutes.
Let this captivating purple treat add a sweet memory to your Beijing journey! It’s not just a delight for your taste buds but also a feast for your eyes .Don’t forget to snap a photo — this picture-perfect pastry is sure to amaze your friends on social media!
