Chongming rice cake 崇明糕
Chongming rice cake is featured among the local specialties of Shanghai.
A substantial steamed rice cake often contains dates or nuts. Buy a small slice to sample Chongming's traditional sweet baking culture.
How it is made
Rice flour is moistened, layered with additions such as dates, beans or nuts and steamed into a thick cake. The rice-flour mixture and fillings determine how soft or firm the slice becomes.
Flavour & texture
It is substantial and gently sweet, with a grainy-tender crumb rather than the stretch of pure sticky-rice dough. Added fruit gives concentrated sweet pockets.
Local roots & traditions
Chongming cake is associated with the island's traditional food and festive gifting.
How to order Chongming rice cake
Buy a small slice and ask whether it is best eaten fresh or reheated.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Bar-shaped rice cakes 条头糕 →
Glutinous-rice dough is shaped into slender bars, commonly around sweet bean paste, and cooked until soft. Some versions carry a light osmanthus fragrance or finishing syrup. The wrapper is chewy and supple, contrasting with the smoother, denser filling. Its sweetness and sticky texture make a small piece quite satisfying.
Eight-treasure sticky rice 八宝饭 →
Sticky rice is steamed with a sweet filling, often bean paste, and arranged with dried fruit or nuts before being turned onto a serving plate. Additional syrup or fat may enrich the rice. The dessert is dense, glossy and chewy, with concentrated sweetness and contrasting bits of fruit or nuts.
Questions before you order
What name should I show when ordering?
Show 崇明糕 for Chongming rice cake. Buy a small slice and ask whether it is best eaten fresh or reheated.
Sources & reading
Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.