Whether you call it nian gao or tikoy, we can all agree that the sweet treat is absolutely delicious
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, which means a whole lot of delicious food is about to be had. Are you ready to visit all your favourite restaurants, and for all those laughter-filled family gatherings? There are endless savoury delights to feast on, but also a plethora of sweet treats too. While tikoy, the delectable, sticky delight is available year-round, it becomes especially popular this time of the year from Binondo to offices and homes.
Before you dive into the sweet goodness of Chinese glutinous rice cake, here are some facts you probably didn’t know about tikoy:
1. Where did the word “tikoy” come from?
A columnist revealed in an article that the word is actually the Filipinised term of ti-ke, which means “sweet pastry” in the Hokkien dialect, the language most used by the Filipino Chinese community. This dialect is also used by the people living in the southeastern part of Fujian Province in China.
The delicacy is also referred to as nian gao in Mandarin Chinese — the most widely-used dialect in China. It translates to “year cake” or Chinese New Year’s cake. It also translates to "higher year," which is believed to promise a better year ahead.
Its sticky consistency symbolises a healthy bond within the family and other relationships. For some, it also means luck will stick to you all year.
See also: Chinese new year 2022: 5 must-have ‘lucky’ dishes and their symbolism