Bean Paste Cakes

The bean paste here is not the sweet variety made from red beans, but a paste made from shelled mung beans, which is cooked as a savoury filling. The beans are sold ready-shelled, but they do have to be soaked overnight. The dish is not known in most of China, coming as it does from Tianjin, a large municipality that borders Beijing. I was introduced to this savoury cake by my neighbours from Liaoning and found it most unusual, with its blend of crispy pork fat and soft mung bean paste.