Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake

Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake

　　Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake

　　Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake The main ingredient of Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake is glutinous rice that is pure in texture and transparent in color. First, the glutinous rice is soaked in water for three to four hours, then steamed over high heat. The steamed rice is poured into a stone mortar and pounded back and forth with a wooden pestle until it forms a sticky dough. Then, while still hot, the dough is lifted with both hands and forcefully tossed into a pre-prepared bamboo sieve. The entire batch of sticky rice cake lands intact in the sieve. People waiting nearby to shape the cakes dip their hands in oil, divide the dough into three or four small portions, and roll them into mushroom-like shapes. Then they squeeze out many small balls, about the size of table tennis balls, through the gap between their thumbs and index fingers, flicking them into a basin filled with seasonings such as soybean flour, peanut powder, sesame, and sugar, where they are continuously rolled around. Once the pure white sticky balls are coated with the seasonings, they turn a light yellow color, achieving the perfect soft yet chewy texture, and taste sweet and delicious. If not eaten immediately, the balls are not coated with the seasonings but instead laid out neatly to air-dry slowly.

　　The dried small sticky cakes can be cooked in various ways—pan-fried, deep-fried, boiled, or roasted. In addition to serving guests, Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake also makes a great gift for friends and relatives.

　　This flavorful snack has a long history. Legend has it that in the second year of the Qingyuan era during the Southern Song Dynasty, a local man named Zou Yinglong went to the capital to take the imperial examination. The villagers all gave him Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cakes to eat on his journey and wished him success in passing the exams. Along the way, Zou drank some clear spring water when thirsty and nibbled on the sticky cakes when hungry. After a long journey to the capital, his outstanding talent shone through, and he answered the palace examination questions fluently. Emperor Ningzong personally awarded him the title of “Zhuangyuan” (the top scholar). When he presented the sticky cakes from his hometown to the emperor for tasting, even the emperor praised them highly and gave them the name “Zhuangyuan Sticky Rice Cake.”