Cagao (Steamed Yam Cake)

Cagao is made by grating Chinese yam into fine shreds, mixing with flour, steaming until cooked, and sprinkling with brown sugar while still hot; its silky soft texture makes it a local favourite.

Cagao is a traditional folk food of Shanxi's Jinzhong region, making use of locally abundant Chinese yam; it is a common sweet served in local households during festivals.

Best eaten hot while the brown sugar melts into the cake body; sesame seeds or crushed walnuts may be added for extra fragrance.

The mild earthy fragrance of yam merges with the sweetness of brown sugar, producing a soft glutinous texture with the yam's natural fibrous quality, pleasantly sweet but never cloying.