Gaotan is a traditional dish served at the table of virtually every family reunion during the Spring Festival in the Zichuan district of Zibo city, which is located in East China's Shandong province.
Gaotan, also dubbed niangao, is widely interpreted as a homophonic pun in mandarin, meaning that people can be better than they were last year.
To prepare gaotan you should have at hand the traditional ingredients – using broomcorn millet and dates grown in Longquan town, the famous production base for selenium-enriched agricultural products.
The broomcorn is ground with the traditional grain mills, while the dates are steamed and kneaded with the milled millet fashioned in the shape of a hollow cone.
People sometimes add other ingredients such as walnut kernels and chestnuts to gaotan, injecting a unique aroma of nuts and giving guests a surprise.
Gaotan retains its revered natural flavors when it just comes out of the steamer, golden, soft and sweet.
After it cools down and hardens, people often cut it into thick slices and pan-fry it for added taste.
Gaotan is a traditional dish that is especially popular in the Zichuan district of Zibo city. [Photo/WeChat account: zibowenhualvyou]
