Yellow Rice Cakes (Huangyuan Migu)

Yellow Rice Cakes (Huangyuan Migu)

　　Huangyuan Migu has a long history. As early as the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it was listed as a tribute item and is a beloved food among the Hakka people in southern Jiangxi, often served as a premium gift or treat for guests.

　　Huangyuan Migu was originally made from dahuo rice, giving it a yellow color, fragrant aroma, and soft texture. After the 1960s, polished round-grained rice became more commonly used, and the production process grew more intricate. Nowadays, machines are used for production across various regions, and Huangyuan Migu is available every lunar December. Making Huangyuan Migu involves first filtering the ash from Huangyuan firewood branches with boiling water to make lye water, which is then cooled and used to soak the rice overnight. The next day, the rice is steamed in a basket until cooked, then mixed with the lye water, spread out to dry, and steamed again. It is then placed in a large stone mortar and pounded with a hard hardwood stick until it forms a sticky mass. After being removed from the mortar, it is kneaded evenly by hand, cut into pieces, and shaped into various forms. Due to the labor-intensive process, neighbors and friends are often called upon to help with the production. Even after machine-made Huangyuan Migu became common, a small number of families in rural areas still make it by hand during winter. The finished Huangyuan Migu is yellow in color and delicious in taste. It is usually preserved submerged in lye water and stored in jars, where it can last until the following summer. Some varieties are chopped, dried, and then fried with sand or oil to create different types of snacks. It is known for being soft, tender, fragrant, flavorful, refreshing, and having a long shelf life.

　　Huangyuan Migu from Gan County has been successfully included in the third batch of the Ganzhou Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.