Freshly-baked Jin'gangqi. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

The characteristics of a smooth appearance, golden hue, crispy exterior, soft interior, dense texture, low fat content, and strong satiety might make you think of "pretzels". Nevertheless, the residents of Hai'an in Nantong have a distinct version known as "Jin'gangqi", or baked cake shaped like a tiger's claw.

The making of Jin'gangqi involves fermentation, alkali mixing, kneading, cutting, shaping, and baking. To ensure the fluffy and full texture of Jin'gangqi, the dough, which includes a proper amount of alkali, is usually left to ferment in a suitable environment overnight.

Freshly-baked Jin'gangqi. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

When ready for production, the fermented dough is taken out, thoroughly kneaded to release air, cut into long strips, and twisted into uniformly sized dough pieces. These pieces are lightly pressed into flat circles, cross-cut into equal sections, and slightly pulled apart by hand, resembling the shape of "tiger claws".

The dough gradually turns golden in the oven in just five minutes, emitting an enticing aroma. When the dough becomes fluffy and complete, and the bottom crust turns extremely crispy, the baked Jin'gangqi is removed from the oven with long tongs.

Freshly baked Jin'gangqi has a golden color and distinct edges. When bitten into while still hot, the crispy crust, soft interior, and dense texture all come together beautifully.