Fa gao (simplified Chinese: 发糕; traditional Chinese: 發糕; pinyin: fāgāo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoat-koé), also called fat pan (發粄) by the Hakka,[1]prosperity cake,[2][3]fortune cake,[4]Cantonese sponge cake,[5] is a Chinese steamed, cupcake-like pastry.[6] Because it is often characterized by a split top when cooked, it is often referred as Chinese smiling steamed cake or blooming flowers.[6] It is commonly consumed on the Chinese new year.[7] It is also eaten on other festivals, wedding, and funerals by the Hakka people.[8]
Symbolism
The name of cake, fagao, is a homonym for "cake which expands" and "prosperity cake" as "fa" means both "prosperity" and "expand" and "gao" means "cake".[7]
The Hakka call the "top split" of the fa ban "xiao", which means smiling. It is said to be a sign of a coming fortune: the bigger the "top split", the better.[8]
Preparation
The cake is made of flour (usually rice flour), leavening (traditionally yeast, but can be chemical leavening),[7]sugar or another sweetener; it is then steamed (instead of baked) on high heat until the top splits into a characteristic "split top" of four segments, or sometimes 3 sections.[6] The batter is typically left to rest for fermentation prior to being steam-cooked.
These cakes, when used to encourage prosperity in the new year, are often dyed bright colours.[citation needed] The most common colours traditionally are white and pink, but it can also be turned brown by adding palm sugar.[6]
In Thailand, this type of cake is called Khanom thuai fu (Thai: ขนมถ้วยฟู, pronounced[kʰā.nǒmtʰûajfuː˧]), which translates to "fluffy snack in a cup". It is one of nine auspicious Thai desserts, because its name has an auspicious meaning, conveying prosperity or progress.[9]
Influences outside Asia
Mauritius
In Mauritius, the fa gao is known as "poutou chinois" (lit.'Chinese puttu') or "poutou rouge" (lit.'red puttu' in French).[10][11] It is called "pot pan" (發粄/发粄; fa ban) by the Mauritians of Hakka descent.[12] Fa gao in Mauritius is typically pink in colour,[13][14] and it is eaten on Chinese New Year.[10][11] However, it is actually sold and eaten all year long.
