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Fa gao

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Fa gao
TypePastry
Place of originChina
Main ingredientsflour (usually rice flour), leavening (traditionally yeast), sugar
Similar dishesHtanthi mont, Bánh bò, Kue mangkok
Fa gao
Traditional Chinese發糕
Simplified Chinese发糕
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinfāgāo
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingfaat3 gou1
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese發粿
Transcriptions
Southern Min
Hokkien POJhoat-ké / hoat-koé / hoat-kér
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese發粄
Transcriptions
Hakka
Romanizationfat pan

Fa gao (simplified Chinese: 发糕; traditional Chinese: 發糕; pinyin: fāgāo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoat-koé), also called fat pan (發粄) by the Hakka,[1] prosperity cake,[2][3] fortune cake,[4] Cantonese sponge cake,[5] is a Chinese steamed, cupcake-like pastry.[6] Because it is often characterized by a split top when cooked, it is often referred as Chinese smiling steamed cake or blooming flowers.[6] It is commonly consumed on the Chinese new year.[7] It is also eaten on other festivals, wedding, and funerals by the Hakka people.[8]

Symbolism

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The name of cake, fagao, is a homonym for "cake which expands" and "prosperity cake" as "fa" means both "prosperity" and "expand" and "gao" means "cake".[7]

The Hakka call the "top split" of the fa ban "xiao", which means smiling; which resembles a sign of a coming fortune; therefore, the bigger the "top split", the better.[8]

Preparation

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The cake is made of flour (usually rice flour), leavening (traditionally yeast, but can be chemical leavening),[7] sugar or another sweetener; it is then steamed (instead of baked) on high heat until the top splits into a characteristic "split top" of four segments, or sometimes 3 sections.[6] The batter is typically left to rest for fermentation prior to being steam-cooked.

These cakes, when used to encourage prosperity in the new year, are often dyed bright colours.[citation needed] The most common colours traditionally are white and pink, but it can also be turned brown by adding palm sugar.[6]

Influences in Asia

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Singapore

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Chinese Singaporeans use fa gao as offerings during ancestral worship.[5][4]

Influences outside Asia

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Mauritius

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In Mauritius, the fa gao is known as "poutou chinois" (lit. 'Chinese puttu') or "poutou rouge" (lit. 'red puttu' in French).[9][10] It is called "pot pan" (發粄/发粄; fa ban) by the Mauritians of Hakka descent.[11] Fa gao in Mauritius is typically pink in colour,[12][13] and it is eaten on Chinese New Year.[9][10] However, it is actually sold and eaten all year long.

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  • Incense stick and fa gao.
    Incense stick and fa gao.
  • Mauritian Poutou Chinois.
    Mauritian Poutou Chinois.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "發粄 - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  2. ^ Knapp, Ronald G. (2012). Peranakan Chinese home : art and culture in daily life. A. Chester Ong. Rutland, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1185-1. OCLC 830947706.
  3. ^ The culture of China. Kathleen Kuiper (1st ed.). New York: Britannica Educational Pub. in association with Rosen Educational Services. 2011. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-61530-183-6. OCLC 656833342.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ^ a b Lim, Tai Wei (2017). Cultural heritage and peripheral spaces in Singapore. [Singapore]. p. 257. ISBN 978-981-10-4747-3. OCLC 1004189895.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b Singapore-china Relations: 50 Years. Liang Fook Lye, Yongnian Zheng. World Scientific Publishing Company. 2015. p. 217. ISBN 9789814713573.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ a b c d "Chinese New Year Steamed Prosperity Cakes (Fa Gao) |Gluten Free Asian Recipes |Healthy gf Asian". Gluten Free Asian Recipes | Healthy gf Asian. 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  7. ^ a b c "Chinese Fortune Cup Cake (fa gao)". Knowingfood. Archived from the original on 2009-01-27. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  8. ^ a b "Fa Ban". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  9. ^ a b "Nouvel An Chinois : le 'gato la cire' en vedette ce vendredi". Wazaa FM - Feel Good (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  10. ^ a b "Fête du Printemps : au cœur d'une célébration religieuse et familiale". Le Defi Media Group (in French). Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  11. ^ "Sweet snacks". Hakka Mauritians 客家. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  12. ^ lemauricien (2020-09-05). "(Chinatown) M. Chu : Les délices chinois d'un art traditionnel millénaire". Le Mauricien (in French). Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  13. ^ "Chinatown : tout ce qui rampe se mange ! | KOZÉ | Dan Karay". KOZÉ (in French). 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
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