GLUTINOUS rice isn’t called sticky rice for no reason. It is so sticky that it was used to glue the brickwork of the Great Wall 2,000 years ago.

The saying goes: “One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero.” That perhaps explains the unending throngs of tourists from around the world who come to view this architectural wonder of walls, fortresses and beacon towers. This complicated defense system was built from the Qin (221-206 BC) to Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

One ingredient in the construction materials was glutinous rice porridge, something Chinese families across the nation still commonly eat today.

The porridge was used in the mortar, according to chemical tests in Shaanxi Province about a decade ago.

The Great Wall isn’t the only structure of ancient China where glutinous rice was used with slaked lime and gravel in brickwork. This early compound of organic and inorganic materials was strong and very water resistant.

Fortunately, we humans can eat glutinous rice without worrying about our innards turning to cement. Glutinous rice is actually a gluten-free food. It gets sticky when cooked because the composition of its starch content has no amylose but high levels of amylopectin, which contributes to the glue-like texture.

Some people who feel queasy after eating hairy crab or cold food say that a small helping of hot glutinous rice porridge eases digestion.

Glutinous rice does contain more sugar. People with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels are always advised to be moderate about the amount of glutinous rice they eat.

Rice is a main staple of Chinese cuisine, especially in southern China, where it is served at every meal. Glutinous rice is versatile in cooking. It is used in classic dishes, including niangao, or rice cake, and nuomi ji, sticky rice and chicken wrapped in lotus leaf.

Glutinous rice plays a prominent role in traditional Chinese holidays. For the Lunar New Year, the Lantern Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival, symbolic dishes made with glutinous rice are invariably served.

The Year of Rooster, which begins on January 28, will be no exception. Sticky rice cakes will be prominent during the Spring Festival in provinces south of the Yangtze River. The cake, whose Chinese name niangao translates as “higher year,” symbolizes the hope of higher achievement, year by year.

In Guangdong Province, sticky rice cake is traditionally made in the shape of a carp and tinged with red coloring because the fish symbolizes surplus.

The most popular variety of sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice flour is jujube and red beans.

In the Yangtze Delta region, lard is often used in making sticky rice cakes, giving them a richer flavor.

In Beijing, traditional niangao was actually made with yellow rice flour rather than glutinous rice, but it had the same sticky texture when cooked. Glutinous rice rolls with sweet bean flour are a special favorite. This famous old Beijing snack is made by rolling the cakes in soybean flour as the last step, evoking the scene of dust kicked up by the wild donkeys who lived on the outskirts of the city. Today, the yellow rice flour is often replaced by glutinous rice flour, which is more accessible.

Though also named niangao, the thin, oval-shaped and less sticky rice cake slices commonly used in stir-fries or soups in Shanghai cuisine are actually made with non-glutinous rice, the same as for the famous Ningbo rice cakes.

In both northern and southern China, yuanxiao or tangyuan, or glutinous rice dumplings, with or without various fillings, are served for the Lantern Festival, which falls on February 11 next year.

The dough for making the wrapper of the dumplings mixes glutinous rice flour with a little bit of water. Then the wrapper is filled red bean paste, black sesame paste or even chocolate before being boiled in water. The sweet dumplings can be served on their own or in red bean soup, ginger-flavored sweet soup or fermented glutinous rice soup with sweet osmanthus and rock sugar.

The north vs. south “food war” is especially fierce when it comes to yuanxiao because eating meat-filled glutinous rice dumplings would be quite unthinkable for people in northern provinces. In Shanghai, glutinous rice meat dumplings are often served for the winter solstice, while further north, the shortest day of the year is celebrated with jiaozi, the savory dumpling made with wheat flour wrappers.

Glutinous rice helps create delicious desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth, but it can also be used in meat dishes.

Nuomi ji is a popular dish that wraps tender chicken coated with seasoned glutinous rice in lotus leaves and then steams them until soft and tender. The chicken and glutinous rice absorb the freshness of the lotus leaf, while the rice takes on the delicious flavor of the chicken.

Cantonese-style shaomai, also spelled siu mai, is a dim sum dish with a minced pork-based filling. The Shanghai version, on the other hand, is much larger and has a filling of glutinous rice flavored with soy sauce, diced pork, bamboo shoots and shitake mushrooms.

Steamed glutinous rice with pork short ribs is a filling meal on its own. The ribs are first marinated in soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce and salt for at least five hours, preferably overnight. The glutinous rice is also soaked in cold water overnight. In a steamer, the ribs are layered on top of the rice, and the dish is cooked at least 40 minutes.

A “fancier” dish from Hubei Province is the “pearl meatball,” which coats regular pork meatballs with raw glutinous rice and then cooks them in a steamer.

Glutinous rice sausage is a creative dish from Taiwan. It features glutinous rice seasoned with shallots, shitake mushroom, dried shrimp and dried scallop stuffed into a sausage casing and then boiled or steamed until thoroughly cooked.

Earlier this year, a street-side snack called “glutinous rice egg” became popular via social media. It stuffs raw glutinous rice mixed with pork, shitake mushroom and sausage into a raw salted duck eggshell through a small hole in one end of the egg, removing the very salty egg whites. The stuffed eggs are then wrapped in aluminum foil and steamed until fully cooked.

Ciba in brown sugar sauce

Ciba is a type of soft, sticky rice cake with a paste-like texture. It is very easy to make at home. In fact, simple ciba in brown sugar sauce requires only three ingredients.

Ingredients:

200 grams of glutinous rice flour

100 ml of hot water

60 grams of brown sugar

Steps:

1Gradually add hot water to the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl, stirring well as you pour. Do not add all the water at once because the amount of water you need varies according to the grade of rice flour. You want a dough that is smooth but not too soft.

2Separate the dough into smaller pieces. Roll in your hand to form a ball, and then press to flatten.

3Brush a non-stick pan with a little oil and cook the glutinous rice cakes on both sides until the outer skin swells.

4Put the cakes in a pot, and add the brown sugar and enough water to cover the cakes. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer until the “soup” thickens to a sauce-like texture. The dessert is now ready to serve. You can sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds on top for a more fragrant flavor.