Luodian Lotus Leaf Cake

Luodian Lotus Leaf Cake

　　Amber cake, commonly known as lotus leaf cake and also called bridge beam cake, is a traditional food favored by the Buyi ethnic group in Luodian. Every year during the "Ghost Festival," Buyi households in the region customarily make lotus leaf cakes. Due to ethnic blending, local Han residents also observe the Ghost Festival and prepare these cakes. The freshly steamed cakes are extremely hot, so people place them on bamboo poles to cool before eating, hence the name "bridge beam cake."

　　 The lotus leaf cake has a natural color (purple-red), pleasing to the eye; it boasts a fragrant aroma that is refreshing and intoxicating; when eaten, it is glutinous but not greasy, doesn’t stick to the teeth, and has a uniquely delicious taste. Because purple leaves and banana leaves are only produced in tropical and subtropical regions, lotus leaf cakes can only be made by people living in those climates. Owing to its distinctive shape, color, fragrance, and flavor, as well as its rich ethnic characteristics, Luodian lotus leaf cakes are famous both within and beyond the province. Locals often give them as gifts to relatives and friends residing in distant cities such as the provincial capital.