Taro cake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Taro cake

Taro cake
Alternative names	Yam cake
Course	Dim Sum
Place of origin	Southern China
Region or state	East Asia and Southeast Asia
Main ingredients	Taro, rice flour
Variations	Fried and steamed

Taro cake (traditional Chinese: 芋頭糕; simplified Chinese: 芋头糕; pinyin: yùtóu gāo; Cantonese Yale: wuhtáu gōu) is a Cantonese dish made from the vegetable taro. While it is denser in texture than radish cakes, both of these savory cakes are made in similar ways, with rice flour as the main ingredient. As a dim sum, it is usually cut into rectangular slices and pan-fried before serving. It is found in Hong Kong, China, and overseas Chinatown restaurants. Other ingredients often include pork and Chinese black mushroom, or even Chinese sausages. It is usually topped with chopped scallions.

Variety

Regional home-style

The other version is the more home-style baked version. Usually it uses the same ingredients and steamed for long periods of time in a deep pan until it is ultra soft and pasty. The formula varies greatly depending on the family recipe or regional tastes.

Frozen taro cake

Some restaurants offer taro cakes cut into small cubes as part of a main course appetizer to a major Chinese cuisine. These are sometimes frozen to a more solid state, though it is not nearly as common as the other forms.

In other cultures

Yam cake

A similar dish is prepared in the cuisine of Vietnam, where it is called bánh khoai môn.

In Malaysia and Singapore, it is known as yam cake.

See also

In Spanish: Pastel de taro para niños