Hakka Rice Cake – Making “Round Basket Rice Cakes” Through the Night in Families

In Cantonese it is called “Ko” (cake), while Hakka people call it “Ban”. Round Basket Rice Cake is a major undertaking for Hakka families for Lunar New Year gifts or personal use.

Before metal trays became common, the most convenient method was to steam ban in bamboo baskets lined with leaves. The bamboo basket gave the cake its shape, while leaves prevented leakage. Once hardened, the Ko Ban could be lifted out together with the leaves, leaving the bamboo basket clean. In terms of flavor, the basket imparted a subtle leaf fragrance and a smoky aroma from the firewood.

The process of making Round Basket Rice Cake may appear simple, but due to its large size, steaming it over firewood alone could take more than ten hours. It required regular stirring to ensure even texture, with increasing effort as the mixture thickened. This was in addition to the laborious preparation beforehand—such as pounding rice into flour with a stone mortar by foot (said to take an entire night), and collecting leaves for lining the basket.

After several days of cooling and hardening, the giant Round Basket Rice Cake became solid and heavy, requiring iron wire to cut through. When given as a gift, it would be wrapped in red paper, symbolizing that the thoughtfulness of the gesture outweighs the material value.