As the Lunar New Year approaches, each family in China is busy with Spring Festival shopping. The Linzi rice cake（林梓潮糕） is a must-eat snack for residents of Rugao, Nantong, during the festival.
Among Linzi rice cake makers, Laowanhe（“老万和”茶食铺）, with a history of nearly 300 years, is the most famous. The brand has been recognized as a Chinese time-honored brand, and its preparation technique has been selected as a Nantong intangible cultural heritage item.
Laowanhe’s Linzi rice cake is made of non-glutinous rice flour(mixed with japonica and glutinous rice) which is ground from rice after being soaked for one week, sweet-scented osmanthus, and white sugar.
The freshly-made Laowanhe rice cake exudes a strong fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus and tastes soft and sweet.
According to Wang Jiacheng, sales manager at the Laowanhe rice cake store, their store can sell more than 2,000 rice cakes per day in the days following New Year’s Day, four times more than usual.
In order to preserve and further promote the classic Rugao flavor, Laowanhe has also established a learning base in the city to teach more people how to make Linzi rice cakes using traditional techniques.
Article source: Laowanhe-branded Linzi rice cake (nantong.gov.cn)
