Su Shining smiled and replied, "You are a very observant lady, Madam. Indeed, just as you guessed, the pastries with the peony pattern are filled with Xiabai Peach flesh, offering a sweeter and fresher taste, while the ones with the lotus pattern are filled with Xiang Peach flesh, giving them a sweet and sour flavor. Generally speaking, people like Lady Yingying, who enjoy sour foods, would prefer the lotus-patterned pastries."
In fact, the baking ovens used in the State of Wei were functionally quite similar to the ovens Su Shi'an knew in later generations. These ovens were usually made of ceramic or metal, featuring various shapes—some were rounded circles, others neat squares, and some uniquely semi-circular. The interior structure of an oven typically contained one or more fire pits for burning charcoal or other fuels, using the thermal energy generated by the flames to bake food.
As early as the previous dynasty, people had already begun using earthenware ovens to bake food. These ovens varied in shape and size, and some even came equipped with handles and stands for easy movement and operation. Furthermore, the baking techniques for certain regional baked flatbreads, such as Huizhou sesame cakes, relied on specially customized ovens. Inside these ovens, burning charcoal heated the walls, against which the unbaked dough was pressed; after a long period of baking and roasting, this process produced the unique texture and flavor of the cakes.
Chapter 159