Mirror cake
Jinggao (Mirror Cake) is a traditional snack from Xi'an, Shaanxi, named for its small, round shape resembling a bronze mirror. Made primarily from glutinous rice flour, it is steamed into small white round cakes and topped with brown sugar, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and more. Soft, chewy, and sweet, it is a classic snack on Xi'an's Muslim Quarter street.
Ingredients
- Glutinous rice flour 200 g
- Warm water 150 ml
- Brown sugar 50 g
- White sesame seeds 20 g
- Crushed peanuts 30 g
- Raisins 20 g
- Crushed red dates 20 g
Instructions
- Add glutinous rice flour to warm water and knead into a smooth dough
- Divide the dough into small portions of about 20 grams
- Shape into balls and place in a special bamboo steamer
- Put one in each bamboo cage and stack them up
- Steam over high heat for 8 minutes until cooked through
- Take it out and sprinkle with brown sugar powder, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, raisins and chopped red dates.
- Use bamboo skewers to skewer and serve
Cultural Notes
Mirror cake is one of the most representative snacks in Xi'an Muslim Street and has a history of hundreds of years. Because the mold of the steamed cake looks like a bronze mirror, it got its name. In the past, hawkers carried burdens and sold food along the street, but now it has become the business card snack of Xi'an tourism.