Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn)

Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn)

　　Mung Bean Flour Cake, also known as Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn), is one of the ancient varieties among Beijing snacks. Its ingredients include yellow millet flour steamed with water, and the dough is made slightly softer by adding a bit more water. Separately, roasted soybeans are ground into powder. During preparation, the steamed yellow millet dough is coated with soybean powder, rolled into a skin, then spread with red bean paste (brown sugar can also be used), rolled up, cut into small pieces of about 100 grams, and sprinkled with white sugar. The key is to ensure the filling is evenly rolled, with distinct layers, presenting a yellow exterior. It is characterized by being fragrant, sweet, sticky, and rich with the aroma of roasted soybean powder.

　　 Mung Bean Flour Cake uses mung bean powder as its main ingredient, hence the name "Mung Bean Flour Cake." But why is it also called “Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn)”? It seems to be a figurative analogy: after being made, the cake is rolled in a layer of roasted soybean powder, similar to how a donkey rolls in the dirt in the wild, kicking up dust—hence the name. Even earlier generations questioned this. In “Miscellaneous Poems on Small Snacks of Yan Capital,” it says: “Red bean paste filling artfully arranged, yellow dough formed with beans concealed. Why all call it ‘donkey rolling’? The name borders on jest.” It also states: “Roasted soybeans and sticky rice, steamed, wrapped with red bean paste filling, rolled in fried soybean powder, placed on a plate for sale, named ‘Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn)’—truly an unimaginable title.” It is evident that the name “Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn)” has become an established convention.

　　 Nowadays, many people only know the nickname or colloquial name, not its formal title. Nowadays, various snack shops offer it year-round, but most no longer use yellow millet flour, switching instead to glutinous rice flour. Because it is still coated with roasted soybean powder, its color remains yellow—it is a snack very much beloved by the public.