🍽️ Lo Po Biscuit

Winter-melon pastry, partner of “husband cake”.

Lo Po Biscuit, or wife cake, is a beloved traditional pastry across Guangzhou and the whole Lingnan region, paired with a so-called husband cake. Its filling is winter-melon mash mixed with sugar, lard and sesame; the crust is made by folding water-oil dough and oil-pastry dough into layers, wrapping the filling, pressing it into a flat round, scoring the top, brushing egg yolk and baking. The crust comes out golden, flaky and shattery, while the winter-melon filling is soft, chewy and delicately sweet—rich yet not cloying, the melon's light aroma cutting the heaviness of the pastry. Many folk tales explain the name, but whatever the origin, it has become a standard gift at weddings and visits in Lingnan. Guangzhou locals often pair one with tea, and fresh-baked wife cakes from street bakeries sell fast, making it one of Guangdong's most representative Chinese pastries.