Eight Treasure Rice

Meal: Almost in Advance, Steamed

Probably the most famous Chinese dessert of all is a babaofan, or Eight Treasure Rice. It is a sticky, sweet pudding made of glutinous rice, sweet bean paste, with such other “treasures” as dried red dates and sweet potatoes arranged in decorative patterns on top of the rice. Mrs. Chiang’s version of this famous dish is unusual because it contains fresh bacon (a must in the recipe, even though this super-fatty cut of meat is d