Turnip Cake

Turnip Cake

　　Shantou turnip cake is actually a type of folk snack. Also known as radish cake, "菜头" is the colloquial term for radish, and 菜头粿 is a kind of traditional New Year cake in the Chaoshan region. During the Lunar New Year, every household makes it. To prepare it, first peel the coarse skin off the radish, shred it, and stir-fry it in a wok until softened. Then add diced Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, mushrooms, and celery, along with an appropriate amount of monosodium glutamate, salt, and pepper. Mix it with rice batter and potato starch, then steam it in a steamer basket (lined with cloth at the bottom) until cooked — it’s done when a chopstick inserted comes out clean. Another method is to mix the shredded radish directly with rice flour and other ingredients, adjust with water, and then steam it. To serve, cut the turnip cake into pieces and pan-fry them in a flat-bottomed pan until golden brown. The turnip cake has a crispy exterior and tender interior, with a fragrant taste that is not overly sweet.