Lanxi Zhilan Water Rice Cake

Lanxi Zhilan Water Rice Cake

　　Lanxi Zhilan Water Rice Cake, like the buckwheat liquor of Zhilan, is a regional specialty with a very limited distribution area, confined to just a few dozen villages near Zhilan, Xinye, Shangwufang, Licun, Zhilan, Diankou, and Huangdian.

　　Due to Zhilan’s location at the intersection of Jiande, Lanxi, and Longyou, local customs have merged, particularly the tradition of a four-meal schedule, which includes an extra snack meal compared to other areas. As a result, Zhilan boasts an especially rich variety of snacks: fried cakes, crisp cakes, hibiscus cakes, sesame balls, sweet corn cakes, egg cakes, steamed buns, fried rice puffs, candied frozen rice, sweet potato chips, water rice cakes, zongzi, steamed buns, homemade noodles, dumplings, New Year cakes, and tangyuan—to name just a few—making it a veritable paradise of snacks during the New Year. Of course, not every household prepares all of these, but there is one that almost everyone makes: “gao le” (糕勒). Gao, commonly known as “fa gao” (steamed sponge cake), is so named because the term “fa gao” sounds like “prosperity rises” (福高), symbolizing the auspicious meaning of “prosperity year after year, advancing step by step.” Therefore, it is an essential festive treat. Some households make rice cakes using dozens of kilograms of rice for the New Year, keeping some for themselves and giving most away to relatives and friends. The varieties of rice cakes in Zhilan during the New Year are abundant, mainly including water rice cake, Longyou fa gao, and thousand-layer cake, but my personal favorite is the water rice cake. Ever since I was a child, the water rice cake from Zhilan has remained vivid in my memory for its snow-white color, softness, crystal clarity, fine toughness, delicate and smooth texture, delicious taste, and the perfect harmony of color, aroma, and flavor. Every New Year, I am always reminded of the taste of water rice cake, often finding myself craving it.

　　The origins of Zhilan’s water rice cake-making are impossible to trace, and neither the craftsmanship nor the ingredients are any great secret. Since nearly every household makes it, no one can quite pinpoint the exact method—experience and intuition matter most. I’ve asked many experts in making water rice cake, and none could give a definitive answer. But the general process goes something like this:

　　1. Soaking the Rice: Select high-quality japonica rice and soak it in clear, sweet mountain spring water (well water or tap water) for 2–3 days. Mountain spring water rich in minerals is best. Be sure not to use glutinous rice (too sticky) or long-grain rice (not sticky enough).

　　2. Grinding the Slurry: Grind the soaked rice along with the water using a small stone mill to produce a smooth, milky slurry. Watching the grinding process as a child was a common sight. Adults would first clean the stone mill thoroughly with water, then two people would work together—one turning the mill, the other feeding in the rice. The feeder usually used a small wooden spoon to drop the rice along with water into the hole at the top of the millstone. The person turning the mill would rotate the handle in circles. Grind, grind, and out would flow the milky-white rice slurry, like a fine spring, through the grooves around the millstone, into the trough, and then down into a wooden bucket or basin placed beneath the millstone. These days, apart from tourism needs, everything is machine-ground.

　　3. Mixing: Add an appropriate amount of fermented rice wine or filtered wine lees to the ground rice slurry and stir it into a paste. For a richer, smoother taste, you can add a little lard. To increase sweetness, white sugar is generally added.

　　4. Fermentation: Stir well and let it sit to ferment. Sometimes, to speed up fermentation, you can place it in a slightly warmer spot, such as a still-warm stove. The timing varies—usually it takes around 4 to 5 hours, but it can take over 10 hours. Over-fermentation can cause the water rice cake to turn sour.

　　5. Steaming the Cake: When bubbles form after fermentation, it’s ready to steam. In the past, bamboo steaming racks (locally called “guo liao le”) were used, wrapped with a ring made of straw. Nowadays, steamers are used, with lotus leaves, bamboo leaves, or fine gauze lining the bottom. The fermented rice slurry is placed inside the steamer and steamed over high heat until cooked.

　　6. Coloring: After steaming, sprinkle the surface with red and green dyed threads, or add dates or candied dates. Some families brush the whole cake red with magenta dye for a festive look.

　　The finished water rice cake is vibrant in color, enticingly fragrant, pure white as jade, uniquely flavorful, soft yet not sticky, sweet but not cloying. It has a fluffy texture, a hint of wine aroma, a delicate mouthfeel, moderate sweetness, good resilience, and stays fresh without becoming brittle.