NICE CHOICE PINEAPPLE CAKE

The Great Pineapple Cake Mystery: Why Isn't It Filled with Pineapple? If you've ever been lucky enough to receive a box of Taiwanese pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥, fèng lí sū), you might have been surprised to read the ingredients list. That sweet, tangy, golden-yellow filling you just enjoyed? There's a very high chance it was made primarily from winter melon. Your first reaction might be: "Why the bait-and-switch? I was promised pineapple!" The answer isn't deception, but a story of culinary ingenuity, texture, and tradition. Part 1: Why Winter Melon is the Secret Star There are several key reasons why winter melon became the traditional base for "pineapple" cake filling. 1. The Texture Problem: Stringy vs. Smooth Pure pineapple is fibrous and stringy. When cooked down into a jam, it can be unpleasantly tough and chewy, making it difficult to form into the smooth, compact fillings required for the cake's delicate, crumbly pastry. Winter melon, on the other hand, is a textural chameleon.