Hóng Táng Cí Bā: Brown Sugar Rice Cake
Quick Info
- Flavor
- Rich caramel sweetness from brown sugar syrup with toasted soybean nuttiness. Sweet and indulgent.
- Texture
- Crispy fried exterior that gives way to a chewy, stretchy, mochi-like interior
- Spice Level
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Served Hot
Ingredients
Allergens
Confirmed
The story
Cí bā (糍粑) is a traditional food of many Chinese ethnic minorities and is eaten at harvest celebrations across southern China. The Sichuan version, drizzled with local brown sugar syrup, became a popular street snack and hotpot restaurant side dish. It’s the kind of sweet treat Sichuanese reach for to balance out the numbing spice of their main dishes.
What to expect
Golden, puffy rectangles of fried glutinous rice arrive on a plate, drizzled with a thick, dark brown sugar syrup and dusted with toasted soybean powder. Bite through the thin crispy shell and the inside stretches and pulls like warm mozzarella. The brown sugar adds a deep, molasses-like sweetness that pairs well with the nutty soybean coat. It’s addictive.
Tips
This is a popular side dish at Sichuan hotpot restaurants: order it as a sweet counterpoint to all the spice. Eat it while hot; the texture becomes tough as it cools. Pull pieces apart rather than biting through for the best stretchy experience.