4 Delicious, Creative Nian Gao Recipes To Enjoy The Festive Treat
Nian gao, or glutinous rice cake, is often eaten fried or steamed. Pastry chef Daniel Tay shows us four other ways to prepare and enjoy this CNY delicacy
By Sean Tan -
Nian gao is a sweet rice cake made from glutinous rice flour. Dating back over 1,000 years, nian gao is most eaten during festive celebrations like the Chinese New Year and Duanwu Festival (also known as the Dragonboat Festival). This Chinese delicacy is commonly eaten steamed or fried. Pastry chef Daniel Tay shows us four other creative ways to prepare and enjoy it. As the Chinese name nian gao translates to "higher year" in English, enjoying it with your family symbolises a year of higher fortune, wealth and happiness.
Featuring slices of nian gao and lotus root coated and fried in a golden batter, these crispy treats are the perfect celebration snack for CNY!
The breakfast fave gets a festive update with nian gao and banana slices sandwiched in between slices of golden toasts.
This sweet treat is similar to the Peranakan kueh ondeh ondeh. Sweet purple potato paste is wrapped around nian gao and steamed to create the chewy and fragrant bites – so pretty and so delectable!
Like the local rice flour snack muah chee, this version uses nian gao instead to coat with crunchy, fragrant sesame peanut bits – kids will especially love them!
About The Chef
Trained in the art of French pastry, Daniel Tay has also clinched numerous prestigious culinary awards, including the Gold Medal at the World Pastry Cup 1996 in Singapore, and the Inniskillin Icewine Pastry Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001. He was the founder of the now-defunct Bakerzin, and his current ventures include cheesecake specialist shop Cat & the Fiddle and Old Seng Choong, which offers traditional festive treats with interesting twists. Visit www.oldsengchoong.com for a selection of nian gao, cakes, pineapple tarts and cookies.
This article was originally published on Jan 2020, and updated on Jan 21, 2024.