Desserts can evoke deep pleasure and this is no different during Lunar New Year, especially when there are colourful, fluffy and steamed rice cupcakes whose tops crack open like smiles or flowers.
Fa gao (also known as a fortune cakes or steamed, smiling cakes), are a spectacular sight. As each cupcake rises, they push the bamboo steamer lid into what seems like the heavens. I'm tempted to take off the lid, but wouldn't dare since this can lead to the cakes collapsing.
To an outsider, this treat may not appear as anything special. It only has three ingredients: rice flour, water and sugar. However, I grew up eating fa gao during Lunar New Year celebrations, and this brings back memories of joy.
Fa means 'expanding' and 'prosperity', and gao means 'cake', so people see these cupcakes as a sign of fortune.
As each cupcake rises, they push the bamboo steamer lid into what seems like the heavens.
Fa gao originate from the in China and they're typically eaten during Lunar New Year. Other places in Asia have their own version of the cupcakes. They're called banh bo in Vietnam, puto in the Philippines, apam beras in Malaysia, and khanom tuay fu in Thailand.
My dad's side of the family is Hakka, so I grew up eating fa gao, especially during the festive season when my grandma made hundreds of little pink and green ones.
My dad was one of 13 kids, so you can imagine our family gatherings were vibrant. Lunar New Year during my childhood began with offering auspicious dishes, such as fa gao, to our ancestors. After this, we feasted joyfully on them.
However, I didn't always understand the allure of these cupcakes. They seemed the strangest addition to the table since they weren't that sweet and they were a little tangy from the fermented rice used to leaven the cake. My grandma unconventionally served them with fried, round meatballs that my cousins fought over (roundness is a symbol of prosperity too). I only fell in love with them when my mum started making them at home for our own Lunar New Year celebrations. She made lighter and bouncier fa gao. Even though these cupcakes don't have many ingredients, they can be hard to make. Should you use rice flour or a low-gluten wheat flour like they do in Taiwan? Should you ferment the rice or make a simpler version with yeast, or better yet, baking powder?
My mum and I always try to make the biggest fa gao for our Lunar New Year's table. This seems fitting given that these cupcakes should resemble what you want for the new year. We want to rise higher and push ourselves to be the best that we can be.
Very simple fa gao (發粄)
Instead of food colouring, I use dark brown sugar. However, you can use a couple of drops of pink or green food colouring with caster sugar if you prefer. This is a simple fa gao recipe, but you can go mad scientist by grinding your own rice flour and fermenting the rice.
Makes 4-6, depending on the size of your moulds
Ingredients
- 300 g rice flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 120 g brown sugar
- 1 to 1.5 cups water (depends on the hydration of the rice flour)
Method
- Grease 6 cupcake moulds (I use tea cups or single muffin tins) with a neutral oil.
- Pre-heat a steamer on high heat and put the moulds into the steamer.
- Mix all the ingredients together with a large whisk and set aside. You want a slurry so start with 1 cup of water and add more if needed – the batter should be the consistency of a thin-pancake batter. However, upon resting, it'll become thicker which is fine.
- Carefully pour the batter into the moulds so that they're about 90 per cent full. Some say you should get a toothpick to make a cross on the top to encourage the cupcake tops to split. I do this when I remember for good measure.
- Steam the cupcakes on medium-high heat for at least 15 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time. If you are using a bamboo steamer, you should see the cakes rise and push the lid up.
- Rest for at least 10 minutes in the steamer with the lid on, then leave to cool.
