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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Shanghai — the savory stir-fried version of nian gao is a Shanghainese year-round dish; distinct from the sweet steamed version associated with Chinese New Year gifting
II
Description
Chao nian gao: Shanghainese stir-fried nian gao (rice cakes) — savoury, not sweet. Cylindrical white rice cake slices stir-fried with napa cabbage, pork, dried shrimp, and soy. A year-round Shanghai dish that shares the name with the sweet festival nian gao but is a completely different preparation — these rice cakes are firm, slightly chewy, and take on the wok hei of the stir-fry.
III
The Thread
—Korean tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes)
—Japanese mochi stir-fry (similar chewy rice starch)
—Italian gnocchi pan-fried (similar soft starch cooked in a pan)
IV
Flavour Context
Chewy rice cake, wok-hei, savoury cabbage and pork — the Shanghainese version of fried rice but with texture
Pillars V — VII
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