Top 10 Traditional Chinese Cakes You Must Eat

Chinese cake refers to desert made with traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Due to the variety of natural resources and customs of different regions, Chinese cake gradually formed different styles and flavors such as Beijing-style, Cantonese-style, Su-style, Fujian style and Yang-style. Chinese cake has a long history and many categories. Now let us take a look at China’s top ten cakes you must eat.

1. Osmanthus Jelly (桂花糕)

Osmanthus Jelly has more than 300 years long history. According to the legend, during the Ming Dynasty, a man named Liu Jixiang in Xindu county created this delicious desert with raw materials including glutinous rice flour, sugar and Sweet Osmanthus. This pastry is delicious and refreshing and has various types. Osmanthus Jelly from Nanjing and Xianning are most famous around the country. See the recipe of How to Cook Osmanthus Jelly.

2. Mung Bean Cake (绿豆糕)

Mung Bean Cake is one of the famous Chinese Han Chinese pastries. In ancient China it was often served together with Zongzi (Chinese rice dumplings), realgar wine and salted duck egg during Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. The most famous style is Beijing-style, which is produced without any oil and it tastes soft. Other styles include Su-style and Yang-style, which include oil and tastes soft and delicate. Check the recipe of How to Cook Mung Bean Cake.

3. Bean Paste Cake (Liang Gao) (凉糕)

Bean Paste Cake is a traditional Han desert popular in Beijing area. With soft, freshing and delicious tastes, it is often eaten during summer. This snack is also popular in Yibin city, Sichuan province. But different with that of Beijing, it is made of rice and brown sugar.

4. Red Bean Cake (红豆糕)

Red Bean Cake is a kind of cake popular in southern China. The materials include red beans, sugar and rice flour. It is good to eat in the summer time and it tastes better after being refrigerated. See How to Cook Red Bean Cake.

5. Rice Cake (米糕)

Rice Cake has a very long history in China. During the Han Dynasty, it had many names such as “稻饼 Dao Bing”, “饵 Er” and “糍 Ci”. It is made of sticky rice and very easy to cook. See more about Rice Cake.

6. Water Chestnut Cake (马蹄糕)

Water Chestnut Cake is one of the traditional desserts popular in Guangdong province and Fuzhou city. It is easy to cook, just mix sugar water and water chestnut powder then steam, you can enjoy this delicious food right away. This kind of food tastes sweet and soft. See How to Cook Water Chestnut Cake.

7. Thousand-layer Cake (千层糕)

Thousand-layer Cake is one of the snacks popular in Beijing. The raw materials include flour, leaven, sugar, preserved fruit, pork suet, soda powder, rice wine and others. The cake has soft colorful body and clear layers with sweet and delicious taste. It is better to eat when it is hot.

Related: Top 10 Most Popular Chinese Snacks

8. Fa Gao (发糕)

Fa Gao can be found in many places of southern China. Longyou County of Zhanjiang province, Zhanjiang and Maoming of Guangdong province, Sichuan province, and Chongqing city all produce good Fa Gao desert. Fa Gao is made from glutinous rice with fresh flavor. The most famous style is “龙游发糕” (meanning Dragon Flying Fa Gao) in Longyou County. See How to Cook Fa Gao.

9. Chinese Yam Cake 山药糕
Chinese Yam Cake is made of Chinese Yam and tastes sweet. It is a kind of medicated diet that can strengthen spleen and nourish the kidney.

10. Wan Dou Huang (Pea Flour Cake) (豌豆黄)

Wan Dou Huang is a traditional Beijing snack and is often eaten during spring and summer. According to Beijing customs, people will eat Wan Dou Huang on the 3rd day of the third month of Chinese lunar calendar. It can be found in local Beijing style food restaurant and annual spring temple fair in Beijing.

Do you know other Chinese cakes and pastries or have you ever tasted any in and out of China. Share your experience in our comments section.