Hakka Tea-Cakes

Because Hakka diet is generally very simple, the tea-cakes are well loved by kids and grown-ups alike. Hakka tea-cakes are unique to Hakka cuisine. They provide the nutrients and variety which the frugal Hakka diet lacks, since the ingredients of the tea-cakes can be changed based on locality and the time of the year.

There are two types of tea-cakes, one being salted which uses shredded radish, black-eyed beans or pickled vegetables as fillings and another being the sweet ones, using red beans, sesame or peanuts as fillings. The oldest tea-cakes were “Chicken-Shit Vines Tea-cakes”, made using glutinous rice and crushed leaves of the strong-smelled Fever Vine herb (Chicken-Shit Vines) as the dumpling’s main ingredients, steamed with a small piece of vine leaf, banana leaf or macaranga leaf as its base. Hakka people might now use carrots, dried shrimps and pork as fillings as well, showing the adaptability of Hakka folks. During celebrations and festivals, Hakka women would prepare tea-cakes and other snacks together outside their houses, and the snacks are then shared and enjoyed by all village folks, turning this process into a recreational activity as well.