Grilled Rice Cake

Grilled Rice Cake

　　Grilled rice cake is a traditional snack from Dali, Yunnan. It is made by pressing cooked glutinous rice into block shapes, usually round and thin like pancakes. The cakes are then grilled over charcoal and topped with sauces and vegetable fillings. The fragrant rice combined with the flavorful toppings makes it a beloved treat among the people of Yunnan. Its preparation method is similar to that of mochi, but the main ingredient for mochi is sticky rice, while for grilled rice cake it is regular rice. Mochi is soft and sticky because it’s made from sticky rice, whereas grilled rice cake is harder and more chewy as it's made from regular rice.

　　During the Republic of China era, Zhai Yong’an, a native of Yuxi, opened a shop called “Yongshun Garden” on Duanshi Street in Kunming, which became famous for selling this dish. Prominent Yunnanese figures residing in Hong Kong would make it a point to try this delicacy whenever they visited Kunming. Before leaving, they would often buy several servings from Yongshun Garden, pack them in thermoses, and take them back to Hong Kong to share with family and friends. They especially loved the richly flavored, oily, red-tinted, and tender little pot-braised grilled rice cakes. Among all rice-based foods, grilled rice cake remains uniquely associated with Yunnan. According to ancient texts, wheat-based foods were historically generally referred to as “bings” (cakes), while rice-based ones were called “er” (饵). Yunnan, an ancient cradle of humanity, has a long history of rice cultivation. Towards the end of each lunar year, households would select the finest rice, wash and soak it, steam it, and then pound it into a paste-like consistency using a pestle. The sticky mass would be placed on a board coated with beeswax and kneaded into various shapes such as rectangles, ovals, or flat rounds, serving as gifts. These were originally called “er kui” (饵馈, meaning “rice gift”), but over time, locals colloquially referred to them as “er kuai,” which eventually evolved into the term “grilled rice cake.”