@hellolisalin My LNY food prep isn’t complete without steaming 年糕 (neen goh/nian gao/new year’s cake). I showed my mom the cake I steamed yesterday, and she told me it looked VERY NICE 🥺🥺 Recipe linked in profile! I made a lot of mistakes with this cake in the past, so check out the post for my notes. To make the waffles, slice the cake into 1/4-inch thick slices and then heat in a waffle iron for 5-ish minutes or until brown. https://healthynibblesandbits.com/nian-gao-recipe-new-year-rice-cake/ #lunarnewyear #chinesefood #comfortfood ♬ Cafe Serenity (116025) - Chill Vibes Lofi Hip Hop Music

Steamed Echoes of Sweet Childhood Memories

What makes “Above The Chinese Restaurant” so moving — beyond its dreamy strings and soft‑focus storytelling — is how deeply it reflects Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir’s own background: born in Reykjavík to an Icelandic father and a mother from Guangzhou, she grew up between cultures, languages, and kitchens. That gentle duality runs through the song’s imagery of living above a Chinese restaurant, where everyday sounds and scents become emotional anchors. It mirrors the way traditions like steaming 年糕 (nian gao, “New Year cake”) carry meaning across oceans — a ritual that, much like Laufey’s music, blends nostalgia, childhood memory, and the quiet comfort of home. In both the song and the Lunar New Year tradition, small sensory moments — steam rising, bowls clattering, sweetness thickening — become symbols of belonging, resilience, and the soft hope of stepping into a new year with warmth.

🎶 🧧🥣 🍯✨ 🐎🌙 🥢🔥 🍚🎎 🌸💛 🌬️🍰 🔊 Above The Chinese Restaurant - Laufey

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As Lunar New Year celebrations ripple across the globe in 2026, kitchens from Guangzhou to California are filling with steam, sweetness, and the quiet rhythm of traditions that refuse to fade.

For many families across Southern China and throughout the diaspora, Lunar New Year prep isn’t complete without the gentle, fragrant ritual of steaming 年糕 (nian gao / neen goh) — the sticky, sweet rice cake that symbolizes rising fortune and a prosperous year ahead. In Mama Lin’s home, it’s a non‑negotiable tradition, and this year’s batch earned the highest praise: “Very Nice!!!” 😋✨

A Cake Steeped in Meaning 🍯🧧

Nian gao is more than a dessert — it’s a wish wrapped in sweetness.

In Chinese, 年糕 is a homonym for 年高, meaning “higher year.” Eating it is believed to bring:

• growth 🌱
• progress 📈
• good luck 🍀
• and a smooth, prosperous year ahead ✨

This Southern Chinese style is especially loved for its chewy, sticky texture, thanks to glutinous rice flour, and its deep caramel sweetness from melted brown sugar slabs. Coconut milk adds richness and aroma, turning a humble batter into something festive and comforting — the kind of dessert that feels right at home in a world craving softness and ritual as a new lunar cycle begins.

The Technique: Smooth, Steady, Patient 🍶🔥

Perfecting nian gao takes practice — and a few key details make all the difference:

• Dissolve the sugar fully
Brown sugar slabs melt into boiling water, creating the signature caramel base.

• Add coconut milk for richness
It softens the texture and deepens the flavor.

• Cover the cake while steaming
Foil prevents condensation from dripping back and creating dents.

• Keep the heat at medium
Too much heat causes deep ridges and uneven texture.

When done right, the top emerges glossy, smooth, and beautifully even — a quiet triumph in the kitchen, especially meaningful in a year when many are reconnecting with family rituals, even across screens and time zones.

How to Enjoy It: Pan‑Fried or Waffled 🧇🔥

While some enjoy nian gao plain, @hellolisalin prefers it crisped up — and the waffle method is genius.

To make nian gao waffles:

• Slice the cake into ¼‑inch slices
• Place in a waffle iron
• Cook for about 5 minutes, until golden and caramelized

The result: crispy edges, gooey centers, and pure New Year comfort — the kind of snack that feels just right for slow winter afternoons and family gatherings as the Year of the Horse settles in.

Nian Gao (年糕) — New Year Rice Cake Recipe 🧧🍰

Servings: 1 cake
Author: Lisa Lin (@hellolisalin)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 🥣✨

Nian Gao Batter

• 1 lb glutinous rice flour (455 g)
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 12.5 oz brown sugar bricks (355 g)
• or 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1½ cups water (370 g)
• 1 cup full‑fat coconut milk (225 g)
• 1 tsp neutral oil (plus more for greasing)
• 1 tsp kansui (optional)
• 1 red date (jujube), for garnish

Equipment

• Large bowls
• Saucepan
• Fine mesh strainer
• Wok with lid
• Steaming rack

Instructions 🔥

1. Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk glutinous rice flour, ginger, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Melt the sugar
Break sugar slabs into pieces. Add to a saucepan with water, cover, and boil until fully dissolved. Stir occasionally.

3. Add coconut milk
Turn off heat. Stir in coconut milk, oil, and kansui. Let cool 5–10 minutes.

4. Combine wet + dry
Gradually pour the hot liquid into the flour mixture, stirring after each addition. Mix until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine.

5. Strain
Pour batter through a fine mesh strainer to remove remaining lumps.

6. Prepare the pan
Lightly grease a 9‑inch round metal pan. Pour in the batter and tap to release air bubbles. Cover with foil.

7. Steam
Place a steaming rack inside a large wok. Add water until it sits ½ inch below the rack. Bring to a boil. Set the cake pan on the rack, cover, and steam on medium heat for:
• 50–60 minutes (thick pan)
• 45–50 minutes (thin metal pan)
Add more water halfway through if needed.

8. Check doneness
Insert a chopstick into the center — the cake should look brown and slightly translucent. Insert a jujube to cover the hole.

9. Cool
Let the cake cool overnight at room temperature. Store at room temp for 1–3 days, then refrigerate.

Pan‑Frying Nian Gao 🍳✨

The best way to enjoy it:

• Slice into ¼–½ inch pieces
• Pan fry in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side
• Optional: dip slices in beaten egg for a savory twist

The contrast of crisp edges and chewy centers makes each bite feel like a tiny celebration — a fitting way to carry Lunar New Year energy into the rest of February and beyond.

A Wish for the Year Ahead 🐎✨

As the Year of the Horse begins, this tradition carries forward wishes of health, luck, and joyful beginnings — from Mama Lin’s kitchen to yours. In a world that’s still finding its footing, the act of steaming nian gao, sharing it with loved ones, and honoring the past while looking ahead feels especially grounding.

Wherever you are — in Marseille, Paris, Melbourne, Montreal, or Macau — a slice of nian gao is an invitation: to rise, to soften, and to step into the new year with sweetness and intention.

#lunarnewyear 🧧🐉 #chinesefood 🍜🥢 #comfortfood 🥣💛 #niangao 🍯🍰 #newyeartraditions 🎎✨

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