As cold air continues to sweep in, soft, sweet traditional pastries have become an indispensable daily treat for Chongming residents. Currently, various traditional Chongming pastries are entering their peak sales season.

In the early morning, the Lu’s Pastry Workshop at Guanlong in Chengqiao Town is already brightly lit. Kneading dough, shaping, steaming… the staff are fully focused on each step of the purely manual process. This time-honored workshop, with a history of 29 years, has built a loyal customer base thanks to its rich, authentic flavors. To meet modern demands for low-sugar, healthier eating, the workshop has also improved its core products such as classic round glutinous rice balls (yuanzi), appropriately reducing sugar content to achieve a lighter taste while balancing flavor and wellness. “We usually come here for pastries—the filling in their yuanzi is particularly good, and their rice cakes are quite soft and sticky. Quite a lot of people buy them,” said one local resident.

Not only are established brands popular, but newer pastry shops are also bustling with activity. Early in the morning, shortly after opening, the Shanyilou Handmade Workshop in Chengqiao Town welcomed many customers coming to make purchases. On the shelves, Chongming rice cakes, yuanzi, millet cakes, stamped rice cakes, and other traditional pastries are neatly arranged, with a rich aroma of rice wafting through the air. Customers carefully select their favorite items—besides buying for their own consumption, many also place orders for gift boxes to bring along when visiting family and friends. “Traditional Chongming pastries like Chongming rice cake, Chongming yuanzi, pumpkin cakes, and clover cakes have always sold well, and during festive seasons, gift box orders are also quite good,” a staff member told the reporter.