年糕
nián gāo nin4 gou1
Niángāo sounds exactly like 年高 — “a higher year” — so eating it wishes you promotion, growth and taller children. Southern families stir-fry chewy rice-cake slices; sweet steamed versions go to the ancestors first.
The story behind it
Rice cakes were offered to the Kitchen God so he would report sweetly on the household in heaven. In Shanghai and the south, savoury stir-fried niangao is everyday food; in Guangdong the sweet steamed version is sliced, dipped in egg and pan-fried for New Year guests.
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh rice cake slices (年糕片)
- 200 g pork loin, thinly sliced
- 2 handfuls of leafy greens (bok choy or 上海青)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, pinch of sugar
Steps
- Soak rice cake slices in water for 10 minutes if refrigerated.
- Stir-fry pork over high heat until just cooked; remove.
- Fry garlic, add greens, then rice cakes with a splash of water.
- Return the pork, season, and toss until the slices are glossy and chewy.