Chinese New Year Rice Cake

This is the original Chinese New Year rice cake, the sweet brown nian gao that families share during Lunar New Year. Made from glutinous rice flour and sugar, it has a dense, deeply chewy texture and a mellow caramel sweetness, with none of the added taro, coconut, or red bean found in our other holiday cakes.

Slice the cake into thin rounds and pan-fry them in a little oil until the edges turn golden and the centers go soft and stretchy. Many cooks dip the slices in beaten egg before frying, or steam them plain until tender. It pairs naturally with hot tea as a festive Lunar New Year dessert.

Eaten across southern China and Vietnamese households at New Year, the name nian gao sounds like a wish to rise higher each year. Keep the cake frozen until you are ready to cook, then thaw and slice. Inside is simply sweetened glutinous rice, smooth and uniform throughout.

Try it in our Fried Chinese New Year Rice Cake recipe.