Chinese love harmony. Harmony is the motivator for all things Chinese. Thus the perfect cake for the Chinese New Year is the perfectly round Nian Gao, or 年糕, a celebration in itself of perfect harmony and balance. Also known as Chinese Sweet Rice Cake, Nian Gao is a delicious sweet treat that is made and served throughout the Chinese New Year, both to family and to visitors that drop by on their New Year's visits. I love Nian Gao, it is so beautiful, yummy and easy to make. It's one of my favorite foods of the Chinese New Year!
The Nian Gao is traditionally made to be offered as a sticky yummy bribe for the Kitchen God Zao Jun, or 灶君, who, each Chinese New Year, reports to the Jade Emperor on whether your family has been naughty or nice the past year. And of course, Nian Gao is also a lucky food symbol for the upcoming new year. 年 means 'year' and 糕 means 'cake', however, 糕 is also pronounced exactly like the character 高, which means 'tall'. So thus the Chinese love of word play changes Nian Gao, or "year cake", to mean "tall stature in the upcoming year." Hum, such an auspicious food, maybe I should eat even more Nian Gao!
