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Savory rice cake, steamed to a soft and velvety perfection, then pan-fried to create an irresistibly crispy surface. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Chinese culture so much that celebrations last for 15 days. Food plays a significant role in the festivities with specific dishes prepared for prosperity, good luck, and good fortune in the new year. Turnip cakes, a classic dim sum dish, was a childhood favorite and is believed to bring in prosperity and good luck. My family commonly prepared it for dinner outside of holidays, making every simple meal a moment of celebration.

A side angle shot of five turnip cakes stacked on a white bread plate

What are turnip cakes?

Turnip cakes (萝卜糕 , luóbo gāo, lo bak go, radish cake) are savory rice cakes with a soft interior crispy surface made out of a rice flour batter, shredded radish, dried shrimp, Chinese sausage, and Chinese style bacon. They are usually served for everyday occasions at dim sum or enjoyed for special events like Lunar New Year. Turnip cakes are often enjoyed during Chinese New Year because of their shape. When sliced and cooked, they take on a square or rectangular form. In Mandarin, the pronunciation of radish (萝卜, luóbo) sounds similar to the word for “frank” (诚实, chéngshí) or honest. The shape symbolizes stability and honesty making the food believed to bring good fortune and integrity.

A related dim sum dish is the taro cake (yu tou gao), crafted from a rice flour batter and taro. Like turnip cake, it’s savory and often sports a light purple hue. The taro cake I’ve tried includes only taro, but in various regions, it might feature additional savory elements like dried shrimp, Chinese-style bacon, or Chinese sausage.

What do turnip cakes taste like?

Turnip cakes have a crispy exterior with a soft and chewy inside. They are savory with a subtle umami profile from the daikon radish and dried shrimp. Their flavor is enhanced when paired with garnishes like oyster sauce, sriracha, and/or cilantro.

A frontal up shot of five radish cakes plated on a white bread plate. The surface of the turnip cakes are pan-seared until golden brown and crispy. The radish cakes are garnished with sriracha, oyster sauce, and a pile of cilantro.

Why This Recipe Works

My turnip cake recipe is formulated to require exactly one 1 pound bag of rice flour, eliminating any concerns about having leftovers. The protein to rice cake ratio is well balanced for the perfect amount of toppings in every bite. The fillings in this recipe are versatile and can be adjusted to accommodate various diets. For instance, if you follow a vegetarian diet, you have the option to omit the proteins entirely or substitute them with soaked and diced shiitake mushrooms and shredded carrots.

Special Ingredients

What is a daikon?

Daikon is a root vegetable, also known as winter radish, that belongs to the radish family. It looks a bit like a giant carrot but with an off-white skin and a white interior. When eaten raw, it has a taste very similar to conventional turnips but a crunchy and less spicy version. When cooked, it softens and breaks apart easily. Daikons are widely used in Asian cuisine since they are a chameleon in the kitchen with multiple uses from being boiled, stir-fried, pickled, steamed, or grated raw.

Daikons generally grow in a long oblong shape but may vary in appearance. Choose daikon that is firm and smooth. I personally prefer slender and straight daikons as they tend to have a better flavor. One thing to note is that raw daikon has a robust aroma, which can become even stronger when it’s pickled. If you’re pickling daikon to make do Chua, it’s normal for the pickles to have an overpowering odor. To minimize the smell, it’s recommended to store your pickles in an airtight glass jar or lunchbox. If you love pickles, be sure to check out my Vietnamese Pickles (Do Chua) recipe.

What is rice flour?

If you’ve had Vietnamese, Chinese, or Thai food, you’ve most likely have had noodles made from rice flour before. Rice flour is made out of rice, milled into a fine white powder. Please note the this item is very different from glutinous rice flour, sometimes called sweet rice flour, which is made from sticky rice grains. When cooked, it transforms into a smooth, soft, and bouncy texture. The rice flour that I use the most often to make rice rolls is a Thai one. You may purchase rice flour from the pantry aisle section of your Chinese grocery store. It is generally sold for $3 per bag. In turnip cakes, rice flour is the secret behind the cake’s soft and velvety interior. If you have extra bags of rice flour left over, you can also use it with my Shrimp Rice Rolls (xia chang) or Crystal Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) recipes.

What is wheat starch?

Wheat starch (澄面粉, chéng miàn fěn) looks like a fine white powder that comes from grains of wheat. It is a common ingredient in dim sum. Wheat starch is different from wheat flour, as it contains mainly starch and very little protein. This is why it appears different from all-purpose flour, which typically has an off-white color and may contain specks of wheat bran or germ. You may purchase wheat starch from the pantry section of your Chinese grocery store. It is generally sold for $3 per bag. If you have extra wheat starch, you may also use it to create some other recipes such as Shrimp Rice Rolls (xia chang), Nian Gao (Brown Sugar Rice Cake), Taro Dumpling (Wu Gok, Yu Jiao), and Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow).

Ingredients for Turnip Cake from top left to bottom right: shredded daikon, water, rice flour, Chinese sausage, wheat starch, dried shrimp, Chinese-style bacon, oil, white pepper powder, and salt

What is Chinese sausage?

Chinese sausage (腊肠, la chang, lap cheong) is a flavorful and sweet cured sausage made from pork. It has a distinctive sweet and savory taste with a slightly chewy texture. Chinese sausages can be enjoyed independently or used as ingredients in various dishes, such as turnip cake, zongzi, steamed buns, braised dishes, or clay pot rice.

What is Chinese-style bacon?

Chinese-style bacon (腊肉, là ròu rou you) is typically made from pork belly that’s been cured and air-dried. It has a rich and smoky flavor, often used to add depth to various dishes. Chinese-style bacon is not a common ingredient that I use in my kitchen, so I specifically use it for turnip cakes.

What is dried shrimp?

Dried shrimp (虾米, xiāmǐ) are small varieties of shrimp that have been dried and are sometimes salted. They add a concentrated seafood flavor to dishes. Higher quality dried shrimp are sold Chinese Dried Goods stores by the pound. Only a small handful is required for this recipe and should cost around $2 or less. They only require a quick rinse before use, while lower quality varieties that are sold in Chinese supermarkets might need soaking for about 2 hours to rehydrate. The soaking process helps remove excess salt and softens their texture.

Turnip Cake (Luobo Gao)