Bowl-Ear Cake

Bowl-Ear Cake

　　Ingredients: 1 kg of rice, an appropriate amount of preserved fruits.

　　Seasonings: 100 g of white sugar, 100 g of brown sugar, an appropriate amount of alkaline.

　　Method: Steaming. First, wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in clean water until fully soaked (change the water midway during soaking). Then scoop the water with the rice into a stone mill to grind into rice paste. Make a small portion into “cooked starch,” and filter the remaining rice paste to dry out the water, then put it in a cloth bag to let it ferment naturally. Mix the melted white sugar with half of the cooked starch and some of the rice paste, and sprinkle a little preserved fruit on the surface; mix the melted brown sugar with the other half of the cooked starch, then blend it into the rest of the rice paste until it turns golden yellow. Then pour the two types of rice paste separately into concave bowl-shaped mold trays, place the trays in a steamer over boiling water, and steam over high heat until they “bloom” and are cooked. Remove and serve.

　　Flavor Profile: White or golden in color, fluffy and soft, elastic, sweet and fragrant. It is a traditional snack from Guizhou.

　　Technical Tips: High-quality rice must be used, and the degree of fermentation of the rice paste must be just right; otherwise, it may turn out hard and not fluffy, or over-fermented and lack toughness and elasticity. (Anshun)