Cook this
The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Jiangnan region — Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo
II
Description
Glutinous rice cakes cooked for Chinese New Year — can be pan-fried, stir-fried with pork and vegetables, or eaten sweet with red bean paste. Shanghainese nian gao is cylindrical, white, and subtly sweet. The name is a homophone for 'year higher' (年高) — eating it signals wishes for improving fortunes each year.
III
The Thread
—Korean tteok rice cakes
—Japanese mochi
—Italian polenta cake (texture parallel)
IV
Flavour Context
Mild glutinous rice sweetness with crisp-chewy contrast; takes on flavours of its cooking companions while maintaining distinct rice character
Pillars V — VII
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