P
Chinese
Lo Mai Gai (糯米鸡) — Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice Parcel
Lo mai gai (糯米鸡, literally glutinous rice chicken) is a dim sum preparation of glutinous rice mixed with chicken, Chinese sausage (lap cheong), dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, and oyster sauce, wrapped in a dried lotus leaf and steamed until the rice is fully cooked and has absorbed both the flavours of its fillings and the distinctive fragrance of the lotus leaf. It is one of the most labour-intensive dim sum preparations and one of the most rewarding — the unwrapping of the lotus leaf at the table, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam, is one of dim sum's most sensory moments.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the glutinous rice
400 g
glutinous rice
soaked in cold water for a minimum of 4 hours, then drained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
oyster sauce
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tbsp
light soy sauce
1 tsp
sesame oil
Your own market
1 tbsp
Shaoxing wine
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the chicken filling
300 g
chicken thigh
boned, skinned, diced
Your own market
1 tbsp
1 tbsp
oyster sauce
for marinade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tbsp
Shaoxing wine
for marinade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
sesame oil
for marinade
Your own market
1 tsp
6
dried shiitake mushrooms
reconstituted in warm water, stems removed, caps diced
Your own market
2
30 g
For the parcels
2
dried lotus leaves
soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, each cut in half
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Soak the glutinous rice in cold water for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain thoroughly. Place in a steamer basket over vigorously boiling water and steam for 30 minutes. The grains should be cooked through but retain a slight firmness at the centre — press one grain between finger and thumb to confirm it yields without remaining chalky.
2
Transfer the hot rice to a bowl. Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine. Fold through while the rice is still warm so the seasoning is absorbed evenly. The rice should carry an even amber gloss and smell of soy, wine, and sesame.
From the canon — Oyster sauce was invented by accident in the 1880s in Guangdong province when a cook named Lee Kum Sheung left oyster soup simmering too long and discovered … Oyster Sauce (Cantonese — Original Method vs Commercial) →
3
Combine the diced chicken thigh with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Leave to marinate while the rice steams. Stir-fry the marinated chicken over high heat, moving constantly, until 80% cooked — the exterior will have turned white but the centre will still show faint pink. Remove from the heat. Fold in the diced reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, diced lap cheong, and dried shrimp.
4
This is where the parcel lives or dies: an under-soaked or under-steamed lo mai gai will emerge from its final steam with hard, starchy grains that no amount of time can correct. Confirm the lotus leaf halves have soaked a full 30 minutes — they should be pliable and give off their characteristic grassy, slightly floral scent. Lay one leaf half flat, rough side up. Place a generous scoop of seasoned rice (approximately one quarter of the total) in the centre and press a hollow into the middle. Spoon one quarter of the chicken filling into the hollow. Cover with a second scoop of rice to enclose the filling completely. Fold the sides of the lotus leaf up and over, then fold the top and bottom to form a neat, tight parcel. Secure firmly with kitchen twine. The parcel should feel dense and compact under the hand — any looseness will allow steam to escape and the rice to dry unevenly.
5
Place the four parcels seam-side down in a steamer over vigorously boiling water. Steam for a minimum of 30 minutes, and ideally 45 minutes. At 30 minutes, unfold one parcel at its corner: the rice should be fully tender and glistening, with no residual firmness. The lotus leaf will have darkened to an olive-brown and the escaping steam will carry the leaf's fragrance clearly. If any chalkiness remains, reseal and continue steaming.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Freshly harvested glutinous rice from a single-origin supplier; hand-made lap cheong from a specialist charcutier; whole dried shiitake caps of No. 1 grade; young dried lotus leaves with a pronounced fragrance.
02
Estate — Good-quality glutinous rice from a reputable Asian grocer; lap cheong from a trusted Hong Kong-style brand; dried shiitakes with intact caps; lotus leaves purchased from a store with high turnover.
03
Market — Standard supermarket glutinous rice, soaked faithfully; any commercially available lap cheong; pre-sliced dried shiitakes acceptable if the pieces are not powdery; lotus leaves from a general Asian grocery.
04
House — The minimum workable parcel: correct soaking and steaming times observed above all else — technique sustains quality where ingredient grade is modest.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Pre-steamed glutinous rice grain yields completely when pressed between finger and thumb, with no chalky resistance at the centre.
◇Sight. Seasoned rice carries an even amber gloss after the warm seasoning is folded through.
◇Smell. Soaked lotus leaf gives off a grassy, faintly floral scent, indicating full hydration and readiness to wrap.
◇Touch. Assembled parcel feels uniformly dense and compact; no looseness or air pockets under the hand.
◇Smell. Steam escaping from the parcel after the final steam carries the lotus leaf's fragrance clearly, signalling that the leaf has fully flavoured the rice within.
◇Sight. On test-opening, rice is fully tender and glistening, and the lotus leaf has darkened to an even olive-brown.
◇Where it lives or dies. The parcel must be assembled tightly, from rice that has soaked a full four hours and been pre-steamed to the point of just-yielding — no correction is possible once the lotus leaf is sealed and the final steam begun.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Baijiu
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