People with delicate taste palettes are always ready to try out a variety of unconventional cakes. When it comes down to unconventional cakes, Chinese cuisine has an array of options available, including radish cake vs. turnip cake. These two are basically dim sum recipes and have become popular around the globe, particularly among people who have a delectable flavor.
Turnip Cake vs. Radish Cake
Turnip Cake
The turnip cake is basically a Chinese dim sum recipe that’s made with shredded radish as well as plain rice flour. In Singapore, it’s known as carrot cake. The turnip cake is widely served in the Cantonese yum cha and is cut into various rectangular slices. In some cases, it is pan-fried before it’s served to the customers. Every cake slice has a thin and crunchy layer on the exterior that’s achieved from frying and has a softer interior.
The turnip cake is also served in non-fried form, and it is gooier and softer. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that turnip cake is an important part of the dim sum cuisine in China but is served by global Chinatown restaurants. For the most part, it’s served during the Chinese New Year since its ingredients are known to have good fortune. The turnip cake is also served as a part of breakfast buffets in Taiwan. To make the cake, the Chinese radish roots are shredded and are the most important part of the cake.
These roots are usually white or green in color, and in addition to radish, rice flour and water are used. In some cases, corn starch is added as it’s helpful in binding the cake’s ingredients. Once all the ingredients are combined, they are stirred together to create an even batter. Some additional ingredients are added to incorporate an umami flavor, such as minced or diced pieces of Chinese sausages, dried shiitake, dried shrimps, and Jinhua ham.
For the most part, these ingredients are stir-fried before it’s added to the cake’s batter. The cake is made by pouring it into the steamer that’s lined with well-greased aluminum foil and is steamed at high heat for over sixty minutes (it’s steamed to achieve the gelatinous mass). It is widely served with soy sauce but is fried to achieve a golden color. In addition to soy sauce, it can be served with hoisin sauce, chili sauce, and other condiments.
Radish Cake
The radish cake is usually steamed and has become a popular addition to Cantonese dim sum dishes. It’s one of the most affordable cakes out there and is made ahead of time. It’s usually served when it’s at room temperature or can be frozen for later use. The frozen radish cake is usually thawed and is pan-fried when it has to be served. The radish cake is available in steamed as well as pan-fried forms, but both of them are equally delicious.
It is made with shredded radish, particularly white radish or daikon radish. The steamed radish cake has a softer texture and is easily available in dim sum restaurants. Radish cake is also enhanced with dried scallops, but it totally depends on personal preference. The radishes are grated in course strips rather than hand-chopping. In most cases, the hand-chopped and grated radish are combined to create a well-balanced texture.
Some chefs also add dried shiitake mushrooms and shrimps to add a hint of umami flavor, but they are soaked to make sure they are properly hydrated. In addition, the sausages are added in diced form, and all these ingredients are cooked together until they are wilted. Once done, the ingredients are pressed to remove the liquid and mix it with tapioca flour and rice flour to make sure the ingredients bind well.
The steamed radish cake is also garnished with toasted sesame seeds, spring onions, red chilies, and shallots. The cake is usually cooled down for over four hours before they are served. As far as serving is concerned, it can be served with chili sauce, and you can serve them at tea time or breakfast as a delicious treat. It’s quite convenient to find this cake as it’s served in Chinese restaurants all around the year.
So, which of these two dim sum treats do you like?