Nine-layer cake

Nine-layer cake

　　In Foshan and Nanhai, during festive occasions—especially the Lunar New Year—every household makes nine-layer cake to symbolize "longevity and continuous improvement." This sweet rice cake is crafted with great care. Locals soak glutinous rice, grind it into a slurry using a stone mill, mix it into a batter, and add sugar syrup. A thin layer of the mixture is poured onto a copper tray, steamed until cooked, and then additional layers are added one by one until there are nine in total. The resulting cake has clearly defined, soft, and smooth layers that are delicious to eat. Some also mix in food coloring to create alternating red and white layers, making it very visually appealing. During festivals, people cut the steamed nine-layer cake into diamond-shaped pieces, stack four pieces per plate (three at the bottom, one on top), and first offer them to the gods, then to ancestors, before the whole family enjoys the cake together. This carries auspicious meaning. During the Lunar New Year, people often exchange cakes like sponge cake, New Year cake, fried sesame balls, and fried pastry pockets with relatives and friends, but nine-layer cake is not given away. It is believed that sharing it dilutes one’s own good fortune.