How sticky rice cakes became a Lunar New Year lucky dish and different ways they are eaten

How sticky rice cakes became a Lunar New Year lucky dish and different ways they are eaten

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From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series.

Nian gao, known as nin gou in Cantonese, has long been a Lunar New Year staple. The sticky rice cake is considered an auspicious food in Chinese culture because its name sounds like “higher by the year”, indicating a hope for more growth and prosperity in the coming year.

Today, the sticky rice cake is most commonly associated with Chinese culture, but many Asian countries also celebrate the new lunisolar year with their own versions.

Read on to learn more about the history of nian gao, how it is made and the different types from around the world.

Nian gao – Chinese sticky rice cakes – are made to appease the Kitchen God, or zao jun, who reports the activities of every household over the past year to Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor. Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Myths and legends behind Chinese glutinous rice cake

The history of Chinese sticky rice cake dates back 2,500 years, at least according to one legend. As the story goes, there was once a military general and politician named Wu Zixu, who ruled the Wu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770 BC – 476 BC) in China.

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