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| Top of Hendrick's park in October sunshine (2016). |
Agenda Today:
1. Climb a mountain2. Honor my ancestors
3. Drink chrysanthemum tea and appreciate chrysanthemums
4. Make gao (rice cake)
1. Climb a mountain:
The greatest good luck comes if you climb a mountain or a hill today; this is because of a 2000 year-old legend: A wise man advised his apprentice, Woon King, to take his family to a high place for the entire ninth day of the ninth moon. Because they were away, they survived a slaughter that wiped out their village.
This year I plan to go to the top of Skinner's Butte on my beautiful electric bike, and have a simple picnic lunch in the sun.
2. Honor my ancestors:
This is the second of the annual Chinese grave sweeping holidays, after Ching Ming in April. Chinese families make sacrifices of special paper money and paper winter clothing.
I have no nearby graves to sweep, but I had a moment of contemplation at the park, to thank my ancestors for giving me resilience and determination.
3. Drink chrysanthemum tea and appreciate chrysanthemums:
Chrysanthemums are a symbol of good health and longevity, as well as endurance. This is an auspicious time to view and show appreciation for these flowers.
To protect against danger, it is also customary to drink chrysanthemum wine, but now most people drink chrysanthemum tea instead.
Also women stick chrysanthemums in their hair or hang them on windows and doors to ward off evil.
Children learn poems about chrysanthemums, and many localities host chrysanthemum exhibits.
4. Make gao (rice cake):
An alternative to climbing a mountain, by wonderful Chinese logic, is to eat cake- because the Chinese word for cake (gao) sounds like high (gao), and mountains are high, therefore eating cake can take the place of going for a climb!
Chong yeung cakes come in many shapes and forms, sometimes quite tall, and many are nine-layers. This recipe is a simple nine-layer rice cake, with alternating layers of brown and white batter, simple to make.
Ingredients:
2. Honor my ancestors:
This is the second of the annual Chinese grave sweeping holidays, after Ching Ming in April. Chinese families make sacrifices of special paper money and paper winter clothing.
I have no nearby graves to sweep, but I had a moment of contemplation at the park, to thank my ancestors for giving me resilience and determination.
3. Drink chrysanthemum tea and appreciate chrysanthemums:
Chrysanthemums are a symbol of good health and longevity, as well as endurance. This is an auspicious time to view and show appreciation for these flowers.
To protect against danger, it is also customary to drink chrysanthemum wine, but now most people drink chrysanthemum tea instead.
Also women stick chrysanthemums in their hair or hang them on windows and doors to ward off evil.
Children learn poems about chrysanthemums, and many localities host chrysanthemum exhibits.
4. Make gao (rice cake):
Chong yeung cakes come in many shapes and forms, sometimes quite tall, and many are nine-layers. This recipe is a simple nine-layer rice cake, with alternating layers of brown and white batter, simple to make.
- 1-1/4 c. regular white rice flour (not glutinous)
- 1-1/4 c. water
- 3-Tbsp. white sugar
- 1/4-c. dark brown sugar
Serves 6-
1. Mix the rice flour and water together in a bowl until you have a smooth batter.
2. Divide the batter in two even parts, approximately 1-1/4 cups each. Add the white sugar to one part, and the brown sugar to the other. Stir each part until sugars are dissolved.
3. Prepare a straight-sided heatproof bowl that easily fits into your steamer-- spray the inside lightly with oil. Place the bowl in the steamer and raise the heat under the steamer to high.
4. Starting with the brown batter, pour 1/4-c. into the bowl, so that it coats the bottom evenly (You will need 5 parts of the brown batch all together). Be sure that the steamer and bowl are level so that you end up with even layers.
Cover the steamer and cook that layer for about 2 minutes, or until the surface is solid.
5. Pour 1/4-c. plus 1-Tbsp. of the white batter on top of the brown layer (you will need 4 parts of the white batter, so it goes in a little thicker). Cover the steamer and cook the cake for another 2 minutes.
6. Repeat these two steps, alternating the brown and white batters, until you have used it all up; you should end up with nine even layers. (Be sure to stir the batter before adding each layer because the sugar tends to sink to the bottom. Also, remember to check the water level in the steamer.)
7. Cover the steamer and steam the cake over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.
8. Then loosen the cake by pulling gently the edges toward the center of the pan. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.
1. Mix the rice flour and water together in a bowl until you have a smooth batter.
2. Divide the batter in two even parts, approximately 1-1/4 cups each. Add the white sugar to one part, and the brown sugar to the other. Stir each part until sugars are dissolved.
3. Prepare a straight-sided heatproof bowl that easily fits into your steamer-- spray the inside lightly with oil. Place the bowl in the steamer and raise the heat under the steamer to high.
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| First layer of brown batter, ready to steam. |
5. Pour 1/4-c. plus 1-Tbsp. of the white batter on top of the brown layer (you will need 4 parts of the white batter, so it goes in a little thicker). Cover the steamer and cook the cake for another 2 minutes.
6. Repeat these two steps, alternating the brown and white batters, until you have used it all up; you should end up with nine even layers. (Be sure to stir the batter before adding each layer because the sugar tends to sink to the bottom. Also, remember to check the water level in the steamer.)
7. Cover the steamer and steam the cake over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.
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