Spice Up Your Life: Zaza Cakery Breaks Down Boundaries Between Sweets and Spice
People of the world! Every boy and every girl: In the lead up to our second annual Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 20-21, we’re Spicing Up Our Lives with a few of the vendors to see what searing treats they'll be doling out at the rapidly approaching fine spring weekend. This time: Zhang Ying (who also goes by Zaza), owner of and baker at Zaza Cakery.
Zhang Ying AKA Zaza got her modest start in baking running her own private kitchen and selling handmade cakes and pastries. Despite the small online operation she headed, her cakes were anything but, spanning the gamut of French-style gateaus to traditional Chinese pastries. Much to her delight, her sweets were so well-received that she decided to open a brick and mortar bakery in Galaxy Soho late last year.
With the new store came an expansion of the Zaza Cakery menu, stretching to include a wider range of pastries as well as pumpkin pie, eclairs of various flavors, and a whole host of cakes for catered events, just to name a few.
Below, Zaza tells us about her long-time love of spicy food, and what she looks forward to most to at this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival.
What spicy food will you bring to our festival?
Desserts and cakes that are sure to pique people’s tastebuds. And we will combine a spicy flavor with some of our desserts, for example, chocolate cupcakes filled with spicy strawberries and balsamic vinegar jam.
What kind of beverage in your menu is best for spicy food?
A type of sangria. It’s cool and refreshing.
Did you attend last year’s Hot & Spicy Festival? If so, what did you think was the best part about last year’s event? Were there any dishes that you ate that you thought were particularly good?
Yes. What I enjoyed most was the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest. The dish I liked best was Pang Mei’s Chongqing xiao mian, and the spicy burger made by Q Mex.
What aspect of this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival are you looking forward to the most?
Definitely the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest [sign up to take part in that scorching battle here]. I’m also looking forward to having some beer. And hopefully, our products will be very welcomed!
What is the hottest thing you have ever eaten? Would you recommend other people to eat it?
A type of vindaloo curry. Yes, I would recommend it to others if they dare!
What do you think are the most important elements needed to make delicious spicy food?
Garlic, tomatoes, and hujiao (Sichuan peppercorns). They help bring out the spicy flavors.
Which country in the world do you think is the best for spicy food and why?
For me, it definitely goes to China, and in China, the best spicy food is from Sichuan. Sichuan food is not just spicy, but also very rich in flavor.
Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Spiciness doesn’t have to be limited to savory foods only. It is also great in sweet foods!
Don't have your tickets yet for the big Apr 20-21 shebang? Get 'em while they're hot!
Photos: courtesy of Zaza Cakery
