While northerners eat Jiaozi to celebrate the Chinese New Year, people in the South cannot do without Rice Cake (Niangao), because its pronunciation can be interpreted as “Life improves with each passing year” They believe that eating Rice Cake (Niangao) on the eve of the Chinese New Year will bring them good fortune in the year to come.
Ingredients:
10 ounce glutinous rice flour (available in Asian groceries)
1 cup water
2 ounce sugar
16 jujubes (Chinese date)
2 ounce preserved fruit
Directions:
1. Mix rice flour, water, sugar thoroughly.
2. Add jujubes and preserved fruit, stir until paste forms.
3. Spread the paste on a lightly buttered heatproof plate.
4. Set the plate on a steamer tray and steam on high heat for two hours.
The cake is done when a chopstick (or cake tester) inserted in the center comes out clean.
