Osmanthus rice cakes (Photos: Shine.cn)

The Ningbo-style gaotuan, on the other hand, involves a broader selection of sweet rice cake treats. One of the crowd favorites is fermented rice and osmanthus cake, a light and fluffy cake embodying two classic Jiangnan flavors. It has a light flavor, airy with a hint of sourness from the fermented rice and a distinct osmanthus aroma. The texture is not very sticky and a little bit chewy. One piece of osmanthus cake is a great breakfast on the go or afternoon tea treat to pair with soy milk or tea.

　　Fermented rice and osmanthus cake

Millet cakes and black rice cakes are often sold as a combo. They have an interesting texture that’s in between a sticky rice cake and steamed flour bun, making them more staples than snacks. There’s also a stronger grain flavor and you can feel the sweetness is from the millet and black rice instead of sugar.

Juhonggao, or orange rice cakes, are a unique Jiangnan treat. They are basically small pillows of sweet glutinous rice cakes made with cooked rice flour and sugar syrup, then coated with cooked rice flour, which prevents them from sticking together. Juhonggao can have different colors like orange or red from food coloring, but they doesn’t have the orange flavor.

(Executive Editor: Lubin WANG)