Fried Rice Cake

Fried Rice Cake

　　Fried rice cake is one of the traditional famous snacks in Chaoshan. As early as the 1940s, Xu Chunsong (originally from Chaozhou), an expert in making fried rice cake, gained fame at Maocheng Store on Xinxing Street in Shantou, known as Old Xu’s Fried Cake. The Old Xu Fried Rice Cake at Xinxing Dining Room was rated as a “Famous Snack of Guangdong” in 2002; in December 2003, it was rated as a “Famous Snack of China.”

　　Fried rice cake is one of the traditional famous snacks in Chaoshan. Made from high-quality local rice, the rice is first soaked and washed, then ground into a paste using a stone mill. The paste is steamed layer by layer using special equipment to make large blocks of soft yet firm white rice cake. These are then evenly cut into smaller pieces, mixed with fish sauce and sweet soy sauce, and pan-fried slowly on a flat pan until one side turns golden brown and crispy. Each piece is then flipped and cooked on the other side until done. At this point, sugar is added and stirred in, followed by ingredients such as Chinese broccoli, fresh shrimp, lean pork, fresh oysters, and eggs. Seasonings including satay sauce, chili sauce, MSG, starch water, and broth are added to achieve a final product that is crispy outside, soft inside, fragrant, slightly sweet, salty with a hint of spice, and brightly golden in color, accented with red, green, and purple highlights. It is truly a feast for the eyes and one of the renowned snacks of Chaoshan through the ages.

　　As early as the 1940s, Xu Chunsong (originally from Chaozhou), an expert in making fried rice cake, gained fame at Maocheng Store on Xinxing Street in Shantou, known as Old Xu’s Fried Cake.

　　At that time, there were many shops and vendors selling fried rice cake in Shantou, but only his stood out. Maocheng Store was always bustling with customers. Some patrons, waiting a long time for their order, would impatiently urge, “Hurry up!” But Old Xu would smile and say, “Can’t rush it. Fried rice cake needs the right cooking time to taste good!” Because he focused on quality, affordability, fine craftsmanship, and carefully controlled cooking time, along with a well-balanced mix of ingredients, the final product had a colorful, attractive appearance, with flavors that were fragrant, sweet, savory, and mildly spicy. Its texture was crispy, tender, and delicious, making it a truly enticing dish.

　　Old Xu’s Fried Rice Cake continued operating after the liberation. In 1956, during the public-private partnership movement, the shop became part of the Shantou Catering Service Company. Xu Chunsong, representing the private side, was appointed as the company’s deputy manager. Regardless of whether the shop was private or public, Xu Chunsong remained personally involved in making the fried rice cake and preserving the brand. Xu Chunsong has since retired. Today, the true successor to Old Xu’s Fried Rice Cake is Xinxing Dining Room on Xinxing Street. The chef is his great-grandstudent, the third-generation inheritor of Old Xu’s Fried Rice Cake.

　　The Old Xu Fried Rice Cake at Xinxing Dining Room was rated as a “Famous Snack of Guangdong” in 2002; in December 2003, it was rated as a “Famous Snack of China.”