Written by: Zhou Peng
Posted on: April 17, 2018 | 
| 中文
Gulijiamila making moon cakes
“Gulikatika” Bakery is located on the North Urumqi Road of the Nurbage Subdistrict, Hotan City. The shop is known for the fine materials and special flavor of its handmade moon cakes, recognized by many hotels as one of its specialties.
The owner of the shop, Gulijiamila Abduaini, became interested in baking when she was a child, and has always dreamt of opening a bakery shop herself. In 2007, she opened her bakery shop to sell moon cakes and cookies, with the funds she had saved for many years. Particularly interested in the traditional dessert moon cakes, the diligent Gulijiamila added new fillings like walnut and rose jam, to the traditional ones that have stuffing of five seeds and mashed red beans. This new flavor soon gained popularity.
“Walnuts must be chopped into very tiny pieces and the rose jam flavor must be rich. These two fillings are mixed and stirred so that the taste is balanced and good. The ratio of egg, powder, and sugar must be accurate so that the wrappings are crisp,” she introduces her baking tips to us, smiling.
The moon cakes of Gulijiamila’s bakery shop have become a famous local “brand.” There is a long queue outside the shop every day, and the mooncakes are sold out, as soon as they are out of the oven. “The customers call our moon cakes ‘the local Hotan’ type, and local they are. We can sell over one million moon cakes every year,” says Gulijiamila proudly, “Our moon cakes are also sold to foreign countries such as Canada, Singapore, and Turkey.”
Mr. Zhang, who came from Beijing and works in Hotan, is buying moon cakes in the shop. He says, “When I was on vacation in Beijing in 2016, I brought back a dozen moon cakes. My folks and friends all liked the cakes and for the last whole year many of them have been asking me to send them moon cakes from Hotan, so I pre-ordered more than 100 moon cakes before the Mid-Autumn Day last year.”
When the business gets big, more people come to learn the baking skills. Gulijiamila earnestly teaches the apprentices who come to learn her skills. Now, more than 20 apprentices who learnt at her shop have opened their own shops. The shop assistant, Tursunnay Kurbantursun says, “Gulijiamila taught me all the skills and tips of baking moon cakes. She also encouraged me to work hard and told me that she would love to help me in opening my own bakery shop once I finish my training.” Gulikalam Aibi, one of the old shop assistants says, “I used to be very shy and not willing to talk to other people. Now, with Gulijiamila’s help, I’m becoming more and more outgoing and my baking skills are also getting better.”
Gulijiamila says, “Moon cake is a traditional Chinese food. Uyghur people also love eating it. Now, I’ve made friends with many of my customers, who send the moon cakes I made to their relatives and friends in Inland China every Mid-Autumn season. I’m very proud of that.”
Now, with her friends, Gulijiamila also sells her moon cakes on the Internet, hoping the ‘Local Hotan’ moon cakes of hers can be sold to bigger markets.
Translated by Zhu Siyu
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