Nian gao

Nian gao(Chinese:年糕;pinyin:niángāo;Cantonese Yale:nìhngōu), sometimes translated asyear cakeorNew Year cakeorChinese New Year's cake, is a food prepared fromglutinous rice flourand consumed inChinese cuisine. It is also simply known as "rice cake".While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during theChinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eatnian gaoduring this time of the year becausenian gao(年糕) is ahomonymfor "higher year" or "grow every year" (年高), which means "a more prosperous year".The character年is literally translated as "year", and the character糕(gāo) is literally translated as "cake" and is identical in sound to the character高, meaning "tall" or "high".In Mandarin (though not all Chinese languages),Nian gao(年糕) also is an exact homonym of "sticky cake" (黏糕／粘糕),the character黏／粘(nián) meaning "sticky".
This sticky sweet snack was believed to be an offering to theKitchen God, with the aim that his mouth will be stuck with the sticky cake, so that he cannot badmouth the human family in front of theJade Emperor.It is also traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year.
Originally from China, it spread to or gave rise to related rice cakes in Southeast Asian countries and Sri Lanka due tooverseas Chineseinfluences.
Making ofnian gaocan be traced back to theNorthern and Southern dynasties(386–589 AD). The agricultural textQimin Yaoshu, written during that time, referenced an older recipe bookShi Ci(食次) and the glutinous rice dish,ye(䊦): "Use glutinous rice flour, sieve with silk cloth, add water and honey, use hand to knead the dough, making two-inch squares, cut to four sticks, put date and chestnut meat on and under the sticks, grease around, cover with bamboo leaves, steam thoroughly, set aside two hours, if the leaves are still on, ripped off, set the sticks free."Yewas the earliest variant ofnian gaoknown to have been made.
Nian gaosounds identical to 年高, meaning "higher year," implying promotions or prosperity year after year. This association makes nian gao a popular gift item during the New Year period. The traditional nian gao is round with an auspicious decoration such as the character for prosperity (福) on its top. The character is often written in the traditional Chinese script.
As a gift item, nian gao are fashioned into different shapes with attractive packaging to suit the festive season. Popular designs include a pair of carps (年年有餘) symbolizing surplus every year, ingots (元寶), or theGod of Wealth(財神). These designs are auspicious symbols and send good wishes for the New Year.
Despite numerous varieties, they all share the sameglutinous riceingredient that is pounded or ground into a paste and, depending on the variety, may simply be molded into shape or cooked again to settle the ingredient.Nian gaohas many varieties, including the types found inCantonese cuisine,Fujian cuisine,Shanghai cuisine, and northern Chinese cuisine.
TheGuangdongvariety is sweetened, usually withChinese brown sugar. It is distinct with a dark yellow color. The paste is poured into a cake pan and steamed once more to settle the mixture. The batter is steamed until it solidifies and served in thick slices. It may be eaten as is. Thenian gaobecomes stretchy and extremely sticky. It can also be served as apuddingflavored withrosewaterorred bean paste.
The next stage is optional, as it can be sliced and bepan-friedafterwards, often with egg, to make friednian gao(Chinese:煎年糕;pinyin:jiān nián gāo;Jyutping:zinningou).When fried, it is slightly crispy on the outside, and remains pasty on the inside.During the Chinese New Year, it is cut into square pieces and served along with similar cakedim sumdishes, likewater chestnut cakesandtaro cakes.People also send pieces ofnian gaoto their friends and relatives as wishes for prosperity and good fortune.
In the Southern region ofFujian,nian gao, natural amber, is mainly used for the New Year ritual and gifts. It is made of glutinous rice and taro, which are then usually sliced and cooked before eating. It can also be wrapped in egg or cornstarch (corn flour) or sweet potato to fry.
Nian gaois white along the lower reaches of theYangtze River(theJiangnanregion), and it is a mild food. It is made by mixing rice with glutinous rice; the ratio between the two can be adjusted according to personal preferences. The softer version has an increased proportion of glutinous rice. Cooking methods include steaming, frying, sliced frying, or in soup. Ningbonian gaois the most famous, and common practices include pickled pork soupnian gaoand shepherd's purse friednian gao. Shanghai's ribsnian gaoare also distinctive.  The Shanghai Niangao style is usually packaged in a thick, soft rod to be sliced up or packaged sliced and either stir-fried or added to soup. Depending on the cooking method, this style is a soft to a chewy variant.  The Shanghai style keeps thenian gaowhite, and is made with nonglutinous rice.  The color is its distinct feature. When served as a dish, the most common is the stir-fry method, hence the name (炒年糕,chǎo nián gāo).  Three general types exist.  The first is a savory dish; common ingredients includescallions,beef,pork,cabbage,Chinese cabbage, etc. The second is a sweet version using standardwhite sugar.  The last version is almost tasteless, and is often consumed for its chewy textures.
Northernnian gaocan be steamed or fried, and is mainly sweet in taste. TheBeijingversions includejujubeand either glutinous rice or yellow rice, mincenian gao, and whitenian gao. TheShanximakes nian gao using fried yellow rice and red bean paste or jujube paste for filling.Hebeiuses jujube, small red beans, and green beans to make steamednian gao. InShandong, it is made of reddatesand yellow rice. TheNortheasttype is made of beans on stickysorghum.
It is commonly calledtikay(တီကေ့) inBurma, fromHokkientike(甜粿). Introduced by theSino-Burmese, it is commonly eaten during the Lunar New Year.
Buddha cake, ornom preahpout, (នំព្រះពុទ្ធ) is aCambodiancounterpart consumed duringKhmer New Year.
InIndonesia, it is known askue keranjangordodol Tionghoaordodol Cina, the latter both meaning "Chinesedodol", a similar Indonesian rice flour confection.
Kue keranjangwas originally named asnien kaoorni-kweeor yearly cake or seasonal cake, because they are only made once a year. InEast Java, this cake was namedkue keranjangbecause the wrapper is made from abamboobasket with a little hole in the middle. InWest Java, it was named China cake, as the origin of the cake from China, but some call it China Cake because the producers are Chinese (known asTionghoa).
InJapan,mochiis a similar glutinous rice cake eaten primarily for theJapanese New Year.
InKorea,tteokguk, a soup dish that uses thegarae-tteoksimilar to the Shanghai variety ofnián gāo, is traditionally eaten during theKorean New Year.
Peranakan Chineseoffer steamed sticky cakes calledkueh bakul(粘糕;nian gao) to the Kitchen God, Zao Jun (also known as Zao Shen and Zao Wang) as offerings.
In thePhilippines, the food is calledtikoy, originating from theHokkienword甜粿. It is popular during the Lunar or Chinese New Year and was culturally assimilated within the population's own cooking techniques through trade networks between the Philippines and Hokkien-speaking regions such as Fujian and Taiwan. It is sweetened with brown sugar, giving it a dark yellow to light brown colour, but it is also often prepared with different flavours, such asube(purple yam), giving it a purple colour, orpandan, giving it a green colour.Tikoymay be eaten as is, but can also be dipped in beaten egg and lightly pan fried until crispy, but still chewy inside. Also a version oftikoyis made in southern Quezon province. Unlike others, this variant is sweet and is similar to Japanesemochi. Tikoycan also be consumed as an ingredient in the Filipino dessert calledturonor be eaten with ice cream and chocolate or covered with grated coconut flesh and peanuts.
InSri Lanka,seenakku(Sinhala:සීනක්කු) is ofMalayorigin and derives from the influences of thePeranakan Chinesewho settled on the island duringDutch rule.Seenakkuis a popular sweet among the country'sSinhaleseand Sri Lankan Malay communities and is served with grated coconut.Seenakkuis calledcheena kuehby the Sri Lankan Malay community, with its name reflecting its Chinese origin.
Bánh tổis aVietnamesecounterpart to the Chinesenian gao. It is a speciality ofQuảng Nam provinceand also consumed by the ethnic Chinese community.
InMauritius,nian gaois commonly calledgâteau la cire(literally translated as 'wax cake'); however, it can be written numerous ways, includinggato la cire,gato lasir, orgato lacire.It is a traditional food in theSino-Mauritiancommunity. Traditionally, it is made withrice flour, sweetened with sugar (sometimes honey), and uses orange zest as the key ingredient.The classic colour ofnian gaoin Mauritius has traditionally been brown; however, new colours and flavours, such as white (which iscoconut-milkbased), green (which ispandan-based), red, and yellow, have been introduced in 2018.
In Mauritius,nian gaois a cake which symbolizes sharing,so it is customary for Sino-Mauritians to share and distributenian gaoto celebrate Chinese New Year to their families and friends.Nian gaois consumed by locals regardless of their ethnicity. 
Somenian gaofound on the island is imported while others are made by the local ethnic Chinese community. The traditional way of makingnian gaois still transmitted from generation to generation in some families.
Chinese Americans eat cooked or friednian gaoonChinese New Year's Eveand onNew Year's Eve.InHawai'i,nian gaois known asgauand is a popular food consumed during the Chinese New Year.