Weishan Rice Cake

Weishan Rice Cake

　　Rice cake is not originally considered an exceptional delicacy — many places have it. It’s simply made by grinding high-quality rice into flour, steaming it in a bamboo steamer, and enjoying it as a sweet treat. In the ancient town, rice cakes are usually prepared in three ways: round bamboo steamers produce sliced, square-shaped cakes; block-shaped ones come straight from the steamer; but the most unique are those small rice cakes measured by the “he” (a traditional unit).

　　The elderly cake vendor, year-round, busies herself in a quiet corner of the ancient street. She doesn’t need much space or many tools — just a stove, with a pot of boiling water on top that sends up continuous billows of steam. The lid of the pot has three circular holes, each holding a small wooden steamer about 5 centimeters tall, fist-sized, with pointed bottoms and round mouths. Every morning, the elderly woman with grey hair and a warm smile lights the ever-burning stove. When the pot emits its constant hissing steam, her hands move without pause. You can see her skillfully and deftly scooping the ground rice flour into the small steamers with a spoon. The flour inside becomes soft under the steam, giving off a faint aroma of rice that wafts subtly into your heart. A few minutes later, the rice cake is ready. The old lady spoons out a mixture of ground rice flour blended with brown sugar, sesame, and peanut powder, lightly sprinkling it on the surface of the cake. Then, swiftly and precisely, she flips one small steamer upside down onto another. In this way, one “he” of rice cake is complete. After steaming for about another minute, until the brown sugar between the layers melts to just the right degree, she turns the cake out onto a plate — ready to be tasted.

　　Such a single “he” of small rice cake is the most everyday breakfast for the locals. It’s nutritious, sweet but not cloying, beautifying and good for the complexion. But the most distinctive and beloved is the green bean rice cake available only in spring. During this season, freshly picked green fava beans are boiled, ground, and mixed into the rice flour. The resulting rice flour has a refreshing green hue that’s a true delight to the eyes. Out of the steamer comes a delicate green rice cake. Amidst the gentle steam, a soft, naturally elegant green rice cake appears before you, with a thin layer of dark red sugar in the middle, resembling a fine piece of handicraft. Even before taking a bite, its faint fragrance wafts into your heart and lungs. With one gentle bite, your mouth fills with aroma — the glutinous scent of rice, the fresh fragrance of fava beans, and the subtle sweetness of brown sugar flow and linger softly on your palate.

　　Year-round, season after season, the elderly lady at the street corner keeps the stove blazing bright in the morning light of the ancient town. No matter the wind or rain, year after year, she steams one “he” after another of fragrant, sweet, fluffy rice cakes for both familiar old faces and newly arrived visitors. These cakes carry meanings of sweetness, harmony, and rising fortune. In the early morning, stepping on the smoothed bluestones of the ancient street, passing through the dreamlike arched gates, and quietly wandering the quaint, serene lanes, you may gently pause before the kind and amiable face of the elderly vendor. Buy a warm, sweet, fluffy little rice cake — take a bite, and the perfectly balanced sweetness and softness will instantly flood your taste buds and sink deep into your heart. The adorable little rice cake will dance a tender and affectionate ballet on your tongue.

　　This unique “he” of small rice cake, if you were to eat the pieces separately, would not be nearly as delightful. The sugar in the middle would be uneven, and the sweet sensation far less satisfying than when the two halves are together. I think this is perhaps the symbolic meaning behind this food — thanks to that thin layer of sugar, two separate rice cakes become one. Because of that sugar, what might otherwise be an ordinary rice cake gains a uniquely sweet charm. Just like two people in this vast human sea and bustling world — once you’ve found each other, don’t speak of giving up lightly; once you’ve come together, don’t speak of parting lightly. Together, life becomes more complete and beautiful. This beautiful symbolism complements the profound cultural heritage of Weishan. A single “he” of rice cake is a wish for harmony, sweetness, and happiness.