nian gao

[lilyhotel]

Nian gao is a food prepared from glutinous rice and consumed in Chinese cuisine.

It is available in Asian supermarkets and from health food stores. While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during Chinese New Year.

It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during this time because "nian gao" is a homonym for "every year higher and higher."

[Domestic Goddess]

I wonder if this is also called "tikoy"? In the Chinese shops in the Philippines, white disks of these are sold during the beginning of Lunar New Year. We usually cut it into thin slices and dip in egg (to prevent from sticking on the pan) and fry. Sometimes, if we don't want to use egg, we fry it on a banana leaf and serve hot (it gets sticky).

[Ce'nedra]

I'm more familiar with this vairety:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guangdong_Nian_cake.jpg

Cantonese style. Too bad I didn't eat it during CNY this time around since I was in the US and my relatives over there don't eat it I don't think. My family here in Oz eat it every year (could be because mum is Canto). I miss it! Especially fried with eggs like Domestic Goddess mentioned.

[Dejah]

I'm more familiar with this vairety:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guangdong_Nian_cake.jpg

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This is what my family call Nian Gao, and we also fry it up dipped in egg.

The ones shown by lilyhotel are what we call gnai lan yuen (in Toisanese) Mom made them into disks, balls, long chunks, steamed, then kept them immersed in water in big urns. The yuen stay hard until they are sliced and fried up with meat and vegetables. I love it when they get a little crispy on the outside but soft inside, and dipped in spicy hot sauce.

The ones we can buy are usually elongated flat pieces about 1.5 inches long. I have a package but never cooked them.

[Domestic Goddess]

I just wikipedia'd it and found out that it is TIKOY! I love it, epecially fried on banana leaves (so as no to stick to the pan). I love the banana flavor on the tikoy. My mom's chinese friends would give us flat round cakes of it. It's delicious with tea or as an afternoon snack.

[Beebs]

I have some in the office fridge right now for today's lunch! The ones I bought are the finger-sized ones, but I got them from a Korean grocery store. Fried up with cabbage, pork, and mushrooms. Oh darn, just remembered I forgot to pack chili paste!