Cifantuan

Cífàntuán is a beloved traditional dish from Shanghai, featuring glutinous rice wrapped around a piece of youtiao (a type of Chinese fried dough). It’s a popular breakfast choice in Eastern China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, often paired with either sweetened or savory soy milk.

Recently, modern variations of cífàntuán have emerged in Hong Kong and Taiwan, eventually making their way back to Shanghai and surrounding regions. Today, two main types of cífàntuán are commonly found: a savory version filled with ingredients such as zha cai (pickled mustard plant stem), rousong (dried meat floss), and youtiao; and a sweet version that includes sugar and occasionally sesame.