Shanghai Fried Rice Cakes 粢饭糕
Shanghai Fried Rice Cakes is featured among the local specialties of Shanghai.
Zifangao (粢饭糕) is a Shanghai snack made by compressing cooked rice into blocks and frying them until golden. The resulting cake has a crisp surface with rice still recognizable inside.
How it is prepared
A Shanghai information-office recipe describes a rectangular compressed rice cake fried in oil. The shaping and frying distinguish it from a sticky rice roll assembled around a filling.
Flavour & texture
The contrast comes from the crust and the softer grains beneath it. This is generally a savoury breakfast snack; the word cake should not suggest a frosted dessert or a sweet sponge.
Local context & naming
Shanghai food descriptions place it among familiar everyday breakfast foods. The spelling zifangao and the Chinese name identify this rice-block preparation more precisely than the broad English term rice cake.
Ordering this dish
Ask whether the portion is freshly fried and how many pieces it contains. Choose a smaller serving when comparing it with another breakfast item, since several fried snacks can quickly make a large meal.
At the table
Let the cake cool briefly, then try an edge and a central bite to compare the textures. A drink or soup can accompany it, but confirm that separate order's ingredients rather than assuming it is included.
Ingredients to check
Rice is central. Check the cooking oil, seasonings and any additions; neither the name nor the simple documented example certifies every serving as free of allergens.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Shanghai Sticky Rice Breakfast Rolls 粢饭团 →
Cifantuan (粢饭团) is a compact Shanghai breakfast roll made with steamed sticky rice around a filling, commonly a fried dough stick. Sweet and savoury choices can look similar from the outside.
Baked Flatbread with Fried Dough 大饼油条 →
Dabing youtiao (大饼油条) brings together two Shanghai breakfast foods: baked wheat flatbread and a crisp fried dough stick. It is a combination to assemble or eat together, not the name of one stuffed dumpling.
Questions before you order
Is zifangao the same as cifantuan?
No. Zifangao is shaped and fried; cifantuan is a rice roll wrapped around a filling such as a fried dough stick.
Sources & reading
Identity, the described preparation and local context checked against the linked sources on 8 September 2026. Where a home recipe is cited, it is a documented example, not a restaurant standard. Ordering and serving suggestions are editorial guidance. No recipe testing, exclusive origin, current venue availability or dietary certification is claimed.
Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Restaurant-made cifangao in Shanghai, photographed in February 2014.Photo: Galaxyharrylion · CC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited. Thumbnails may show a cropped view.
