Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake

Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake

Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Yellow Sticky Rice Cake, also known as Yellow Cake, is a very famous snack in southern Sichuan and other regions. Main ingredients: high-quality glutinous rice and brown sugar, wrapped in bamboo sheath leaves, zongzi leaves, or bamboo leaves (free from any artificial coloring or preservatives). It has a shiny yellow color, a fragrant and soft taste, and is easy to eat. Once sliced, it can be steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried, or microwaved to soften. Ready to eat straight out of the bag, it is a nutritious staple and side food.

　　When it comes to the origin of Yellow Sticky Rice Cake, there is a little story that is hard to verify. The time goes all the way back to the Three Kingdoms period, when Guizhou was still called Yelang. It is said that the famous Zhuge Liang was leading troops to pacify Meng Huo and was fighting against the chieftain of Qianzhong Cave in Yelang. One day, while the Shu army was preparing a meal, a scout suddenly reported that enemy troops were approaching. Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang ordered an attack, and after a short battle, he drove back the forces of the Qianzhong chieftain. For reasons unknown, whether it was strategy or not, Zhuge Liang, despite having won, ignored the military principle of not pursuing a fleeing enemy and also disregarded the fact that his soldiers had not yet eaten. He ordered the army to chase the enemy for over a hundred li. The pursuit was one thing, but it worried the army cooks—who, with no sign of the soldiers returning, couldn’t waste the boiling bean paste and rice. They hadn’t brought much provisions to begin with. What could they do? Seeing the situation, Zhuge Liang ordered the soldiers to mix the unused bean paste with the rice and steam them together in a large wooden steamer to prevent spoilage. When the triumphant soldiers returned to camp, the bean paste-mixed rice had been steaming for nearly two days. Tired and hungry, the soldiers quickly divided up the food—but to their surprise, the rice had transformed into something else. Not only did it have a yellow luster, but it also tasted sweet, soft, and delicious, as though it had a unique flavor. The soldiers thought it was a special treat prepared by their military advisor to reward them and quickly polished off several steaming baskets of the dish. Local villagers who came to support the army, seeing how delicious it was, also began making it using the same method. Passed down through more than a thousand years, this became yet another delicious specialty of southern Sichuan—Yellow Sticky Rice Cake.

　　 Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake is made from high-quality glutinous rice, soybeans, fragrant rice, and white sugar through traditional handicraft methods. It is yellow in color, hence the name “Yellow Cake” (or Yellow Sticky Rice Cake). It has a sweet taste and soft texture. If it hardens over time, it can be restored to its soft and sweet state by baking, deep-frying, or steaming, making it ready to eat. Originally, the main varieties were corn-flavored Yellow Cake and glutinous rice Yellow Cake. After the reform and opening-up in 1978, more and more households started producing Yellow Cake, and production grew significantly in scale.

　　 On the basis of inheriting traditional production techniques, some producers have developed new, special, and premium varieties such as black glutinous rice, millet, five-nut, cured meat, chestnut, and bamboo leaf Yellow Sticky Rice Cakes, enriching the variety of Yellow Cake. Some use new technologies such as vacuum sealing to make the cakes easy to carry, store, and less prone to spoilage. Others have changed their mindset to improve packaging, making it increasingly refined. Some have improved their business models by using consignment and supplying to retailers, thereby increasing sales channels and gradually achieving scaled production and operations. During every Spring Festival, the “Yellow Cake Street” on Qianjin Road in the urban area sees such heavy traffic from buyers that the city traffic police must assign personnel to maintain order and ensure road smoothness. After years of production and operation, brands such as Jingu Zi Yellow Cake, Auntie Liu’s Yellow Cake, and Fukun Yellow Cake have gained fame across Guizhou and beyond. Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake has become a treasured everyday snack and a premium gift for family and friends.

　　The protected geographical indication area of Qingzhen Yellow Sticky Rice Cake includes the following 11 towns and subdistricts under the jurisdiction of Qingzhen City, Guizhou Province: Qinglong Subdistrict Office, Hongfenghu Town, Zhanjie Town, Weicheng Town, Xindian Town, Liuchang Township, Liwo Township, Wangzhuang Township, Anliu Township, Maige Township, and Baihuahu Township.