Et (Chinese pastry)
Et, which means glutinous rice cakes on banana leaves, is a traditional pastry made in the western parts of the Guangdong province of China. It symbolizes jubilance and is shared with relatives and friends during festivals such as the Spring Festival, Spirit Festival, and Winter Solstice, as well as in wedding ceremonies, birthday feasts, and housewarming parties.
History
The people of Gaozhou County were the first to make Et and refine its production. Gaozhou was once a wasteland overgrown with weeds. After war broke out, a group of refugees made their way to the county and planted tubers and other coarse cereals. To make good use of the crops, the settlers used mallets to pound the grain into flour. The flour was mixed with water to form a smooth paste and steamed to increase its overall size.Later, the people of Gaozhou successfully cultivated rice. To celebrate the harvest, they followed the same method of pounding the rice into flour, adding vegetable filling, and kneading them into various shapes. This was the original method of making Et. At first, round-grained rice flour was used to make Et, but glutinous rice flour was later found to be more suitable for making Et because it increased viscosity and improved taste.