Jiangnan region — Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo
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.
Mild glutinous rice sweetness with crisp-chewy contrast; takes on flavours of its cooking companions while maintaining distinct rice character
{"Made from glutinous rice flour, water, and sometimes a little oil; pressed into blocks or cylinders","Slice before cooking — typically 1cm rounds or diagonal ovals","Pan-fry in oil until golden and crisp outside while remaining chewy inside","Savoury version: stir-fry with julienned pork, Napa cabbage, soy sauce, and spring onion"}
{"Fresh nian gao from Chinese bakeries or specialty shops are far superior to dried packaged versions","Sweet version: pan-fry and serve with osmanthus sugar syrup or red bean paste","Korean tteokbokki uses the same rice cake — the technique crosses cultural borders"}
{"Cooking in too little oil — sticks badly without adequate oil coating","Not soaking dried rice cakes before cooking — they crack and cook unevenly","Overcrowding the pan — steam instead of fry, losing the crisp crust"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop