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Written by Administrator
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During the Spring Festival period,
the northerners eat jiaozi, but southerners like to eat
niangao, New Year's cake. In Chinese, Gao is a homonym for
high. Niangao is also called Nian Nian Gao, which is a homonym
for "higher each year", symbolizing progress and promotion at work and in daily
life and improvement in life year by year.
Niangao, a sweet, sticky, brown cake, is a popular
Spring Festival treat, made of glutinous rice or millet flour and garnished with
anything from bean to jujube paste, assorted fruits and preserves. Often given
as a gift, it is delicious when steamed, fried, fried with eggs or even eaten
cold. By tradition, it is believed eating niangao will bring good luck.
- Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar (black sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil, flavorless
4-1/2 cups sweet rice flour (glutinous flour), found in Asian markets
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
sesame seeds
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Preparation:
1. Heat the brown sugar and the vegetable oil together; stir constantly, until sugar melts. Cool slightly.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir cooled brown sugar mixture into the flour.
3. Drop batter by the spoonful into a bowl of sesame seeds.
Coat completely then place balls into a steamer.
4. Cover and steam 50-60 minutes.
Text and Images of this article are copied and revised (slightly) from www.chinaculture.org with permission. All materials are copyrighted by www.chinaculture.org. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 December 2004 )
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