Cha Dong Rice Cake

Cha Dong Rice Cake

　　Rice Cake. White as snow, yellow as gold, fluffy, soft, sweet, slightly tangy—Rice Cake is another specialty of Cha Dong. The moment your tongue touches the cake, a cool, sweet, slightly tangy aroma mixed with the fragrance of rice fills your senses. Someone in our group said this rice cake resembles Chinese steamed sponge cake. After savoring and reflecting on it, I agreed, but also felt that the Rice Cake is much tastier than the steamed sponge cake.

　　The method of making Rice Cake is quite simple. First, wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in clean water for about 8 hours. Then scoop the water and rice into a stone mill to grind into rice slurry. Cook a small portion of the rice slurry in a pot to make “cooked starch,” set aside for later use. Melt white sugar and brown sugar separately and set them aside. Drain the rest of the rice slurry and place it in a cloth bag to let it ferment naturally. Mix the melted white sugar with half of the cooked starch and combine it with part of the rice slurry to make the white batter. Blend the melted brown sugar with the other half of the cooked starch, then mix it with the remaining rice slurry to make the yellow batter. After letting it ferment for 4 hours, add a small amount of alkaline powder before steaming and stir well. When steaming, scoop the yellow and white batters separately into concave bowl-shaped molds, sprinkle a little sesame on top, place them in the steamer, and steam over high heat until they “bloom.” Remove once cooked.

　　Take a gentle bite of the Rice Cake, and with the help of your tongue, your teeth will break open its rich aroma. It’s truly sweet, soft, and utterly delightful…