What does nian gao represent?
Nian gao, or ‘year cake’, is a sticky rice cake which represents prosperity; the words ‘nian gao’ sounds like ‘getting higher year on year’, and this symbolises raising oneself taller in each coming year.
What is nian gao in English?
Nian gao (年糕; also niangao; nin4 gou1 in Cantonese), sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year’s cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply known as “rice cake”.
Is nian gao healthy?
Nian gao (health rating: 3/5, if deep fried 1/5) While often seen around the new year in its more traditional form, it’s a popular treat once it’s battered and deep fried into crunchy fritters. While it isn’t every day that you eat nian gao, it would be wise to limit your intake.
What is Chinese New Year cake made of?
rice
Celebrate Lunar New Year with nian gao (年糕), a steamed rice cake made of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar.
What is Tikoy in Chinese?
Where did the word “tikoy” come from? The delicacy is also referred to as nian gao in Mandarin Chinese — the most widely-used dialect in China. It translates to “year cake” or Chinese New Year’s cake. It also translates to “higher year”, which is believed to promise a better year ahead.
How do you eat GAO?
Despite the paucity of ingredients, a nian gao evokes so many wonderful things: almonds, dates, and vanilla; caramel, toffee, and cream. You eat it hot, when it is at its chewy best, and its texture marvelous: tacky and soft, with brown sugary strings that pull from your mouth when you take a bite.
Does nian gao need to be refrigerated?
The traditional way of making nian gao takes about 20 hours of steaming until all the water content is gone. Therefore, it can be stored for a very long time without the need to be refrigerated.
How do you heat up nian gao?
Nian gao must be eaten hot so its soft and sticky. There are three ways to re-heat the nian gao: Cut the cake as you would a pie, and re-steam however many pieces you wish until they are soft and sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes depending upon how many slices you are reheating. You may also heat in a microwave oven.
How is nian gao made?
Fujian/Hokkien nian gao is usually made with white sugar or brown sugar, peanuts, red dates, melon seeds, walnuts, and other fruits and seeds. It can be wrapped in egg or cornstarch (corn flour) and fried.
Can I microwave tikoy?
You can simply steam or microwave the tikoy until they are warmed through. Alternatively, you can fry it.
Why are dumplings lucky?
The reason Chinese people eat dumplings is because of their shape like the ancient sliver & gold ingots which symbolize wealth. People saying that more dumplings you eat during New Year time, the more money you will make next year.