Blooming White Cake

Blooming White Cake

　　Sichuan specialty — Blooming White Cake, one of people’s favorite breakfast foods, is made by soaking sticky rice until it swells, then grinding it into fine powder with a stone mill. It undergoes natural fermentation and is finally steamed in a bamboo steamer before serving. Its flavor is the natural fragrance of sticky rice, sweet with a lingering aftertaste, suitable for all ages.

　　 Specialty Culture: Besides being served as a breakfast food, white cake has another traditional use. When a young bride gives birth to a child, blooming white cakes are used to celebrate when the baby turns 100 days old and one year old. The family of the newborn orders specially made white cakes, decorates them with red dots (usually four) using food coloring, and gives them to neighbors as gifts. This symbolizes a wish that the child will grow up as plump, fair, and tall as the white cakes.

　　 Preparation Method:

　　 1. Take part of the rice flour, mix it with water, and cook it over a fire until it becomes a thin paste;

　　 2. Let it cool slightly, then stir it together with the remaining rice flour to form a thick paste, adding a bit more cold water if needed;

　　 3. Pour in the pre-activated yeast water and stir well;

　　 4. Lightly grease the chrysanthemum cup molds (optional, but greasing helps with demolding). Pour the batter to about halfway up the molds;

　　 5. Let it ferment until the batter rises to nearly the height of the molds, then steam in a boiling steamer for 25 minutes.