“Zeng Gao” Rice Cake

In my experience, really old-school Chinese desserts offer very little when it comes to visual presentation. It’s mostly because way back when, just having dessert was a luxury. When someone has already gone through the hassle of obtaining sweet sticky rice (not native to the region), there’s no reason to ask them to make it pretty. They just have to make it taste good.

Zeng gao perfectly encapsulates this prioritization of taste over looks. Less of a cake and more of