“Dragon-phoenix bride cake” is a famous dessert popular in Jianli County, Hubei Province which features slight sweetness, fragrance and crispness. It is as big as a plate and is 0.5kg or 0.4kg in weight, with a character “Xi” (means happiness) in the center which is surrounded by patterns of flying dragon and dancing phoenix, hence the name. Because of its special symbol, local people always treat relatives with it at wedding ceremony, symbolizing share of happy event.

Legend has it that in the Three Kingdoms Period, Sun Quan falsely claimed to marry off his younger sister to Liu Bei, which was actually an intention to deceive Liu Bei. Since the engagement was a pretended one, Sun Quan did not dare to make it known to his mother and common people of the Wu State, for fear that this false engagement would become true. After seeing through this conspiracy, Zhuge Liang ordered his underlings to make a great deal of “dragon-phoenix bride cakes” and distribute them to officials and common people of the Wu State, who received the cakes and realized that Liu Bei was about to marry off the younger sister of Sun Quan. The news was promptly spread across the state. This “engagement” was even agreed upon by Sun Quan’s mother who lived deep in the palace. “Dragon-phoenix bride cake” hereby made this marriage come true.

It is said that Huangshigang cake in Hubei Province has similar origin as “dragon-phoenix bride cake”. It is made of over ten kinds of raw materials including sesame, orange cake and sweetened osmanthus flower, featuring intense natural aroma of sesame. With two red characters “Ji Xiang” (means auspiciousness) on it, Huangshigang cake is a necessary gift at wedding ceremony.