As the Double Ninth Festival has arrived, square cakes are once again in high demand. Many people are not only buying them pre-made but also taking pleasure in making them at home. In Hezhong Village, Qingcun Town, Fengxian District, villager Gong Qinlian got busy. With her adept skills, a variety of square cakes in different flavors and shapes came to life, and with a few swift movements, a tray of cakes was baked. Let's join in and make some ourselves.

  In Fengxian, square cakes are a genuine local delicacy, with each white cake carrying numerous auspicious wishes. To make square cakes, Auntie Gong had already prepared rice and glutinous rice the day yesterday. After washing the rice, she soaked it in water overnight to make square cakes softer and chewier. At nine in the morning, she had drained the soaked rice and ground them into flour using a machine.

  With all the ingredients and tools ready, Auntie Gong began to fill the molds with the rice flour, using a ping-pong ball to evenly press out "little pits" in the flour. She then added smooth and delicate red bean paste, which she had prepared in advance. Red bean paste, date paste, sesame and walnut fillings...almost every ingredient here, from seed to product, was cultivated and cooked by Gong herself.

  Once the fillings were in place, a final layer of rice flour was sifted on top, leveled off with a scraper. The most critical step came, "demolding", or "flipping the pattern board", where the filled mold was inverted over a steaming rack to release the square cakes. With a sharp "snap", the snow-white and translucent square cakes were revealed. Place the cakes in a pot of boiling water and wait for 15 minutes before they were ready to be served. As the steamer lid was lifted, a faint fragrance rode the steam, permeating the kitchen. The freshly baked square cakes are snow-white, fragrant, soft, and sticky, yet non-greasy to the touch.

  Beyond the conventional square form, square cakes are available in a multitude of shapes and designs, offering both visual appeal and delightful flavors.