Nian Gao (年糕 – New Year Cake) is one of those things that I’ll buy every year for Chinese New Year.
This round sweet sticky cake is typically eaten during Chinese New Year to symbolize family union and unity due to its shape and name “nian”, which sounds like “sticky” in Mandarin. The word “nian gao” also sounds like “年高”, which means “year high”. And it could be taken to signify reaching higher heights like getting a promotion, better grades, better health, increase in wealth, ….. you get the picture.
For me, it’s more of a tradition as I grew up watching mom buying and displaying it around the house (almost like a decorative item) during Chinese New Year. Plus I do enjoy eating this sweet treat.
Ways of enjoying Nian Gao
Though the cake is technically edible as it is already cooked, no one eats it on it’s own. It is usually cut into pieces, then pan-fried with egg or just plain. Once it is fried or steamed, it gets very sticky so you’ve got to coat it with egg, seaweed, spring roll skin or even ground nuts, after steaming.
In this recipe, we pair it with semi-hard comte cheese in spring roll wraps before frying. What you get are some delightfully sweet and savoury parcels of joy. They are crisp on the outside and nice and gooey on the inside. In terms of symbolism, may there be sweet endings to our endeavours (symbolized by saltiness of the cheese) for the year ahead.
Recipe Card
Yields: 20 bite-size rolls
Ingredients
Nian Gao 200g
Comte Cheese 200g
Spring Roll Skin 20 x 10cm squares
Plain flour 2 tsp
Water 1 Tbsp
Cooking Oil (for deep frying)
Method
- Slice Nian Gao and Comté cheese into 5mm thickness, approximately a thumb’s length each.
- Cut Spring roll wraps into 10cm x 10cm squares.
Remember to cover the spring roll skins with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying too quickly. Once it is dry, it will harden and be very difficult to roll.
Wrapping the rolls
3. Place nian gao and cheese at edge of each wrap.
4. Tug in the sides firmly but not too tightly, then roll.
If too tight, the nian gao and cheese may ooze out when frying.
5. Brush the tips with a mixture of flour and water paste. And finish wrapping.
Frying the spring rolls
7. Pre-heat oil to 160oC so it is just a gentle heat.
8. Fry the cheese nian gao wraps until golden brown and remove immediately.
Tip: do not over-fry at this stage.
9. Allow the spring rolls to cool completely.
10. For optimal results, refry the rolls briefly just before serving.
Don’t wait too long to eat these lovely treats. Consume it once they are cool to touch so you get a nice sweet and cheesy pull!
Conclusion
Here’s another recipe to add to your repertoire of ways to prepare Nian Gao. Hope you’ll enjoy it with family and friends this lunar new year and be blessed with good family ties and reach greater heights in all your endeavours.
Happy Cooking and Happy Eating!
This recipe first appeared on our Instagram feed for #EnjoyItsFromEurope
