Red Tortoise Cake
Encyclopedia
Red tortoise cake, translated in Hokkien
as "Ang Ku Kueh, 红龟糕" (红=red, 龟=tortoise,糕=cake or pastry), is a small round or oval shaped Chinese pastry with soft sticky glutinous rice
flour
skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre.
It is molded to resemble a tortoise shell and is presented resting on a square piece of banana leaf
. As suggested by its name, red tortoise cakes are traditionally red in color and has a sticky chewy texture when eaten.
Red tortoise cakes are shaped like tortoise shells because the Chinese
traditionally believed that eating tortoises would bring longevity to those who are eating it and bring about good fortune and prosperity.
Considered to be auspicious items, these sweet pastries are especially prepared during important festivals such as Chinese New Year
as offerings to the Chinese deities
.
Red tortoise cakes are also prepared for occasions that are culturally important to the Chinese such as a newborn baby's first month or birthdays of the elderly. Eating red tortoise cakes during these times are meant to represent blessings for the child and longevity for the elderly.In modern times, red tortoise cakes continue to be important food items during Chinese festivals in many countries such as Singapore
, Malaysia, China
and Taiwan
. However, eating red tortoise cakes in these countries is no longer restricted to special occasions for red tortoise cakes are also commercially available in many pastry
shops and bakeries
.
There are two main components in red tortoise cakes, the skin and the filling. The skin is made mostly from glutinous rice
flour and sweet potato
whereas the fillings are made from precooked ingredients such as mung bean
or grounded peanuts
and sugar
. After kneading and molding the ingredients together, the red tortoise cakes are steamed on a piece of banana leaf
. In countries such as Singapore, these pastries are popular snack items and are especially popular with children because of their sweet and savory taste. In fact, many bakeries in Singapore have created red tortoise cakes in a variety of assorted flavors, including jelly
and red bean
, to cater to all tastes and preferences.
is traditionally used as a symbol of joy and happiness whereas the tortoise
symbolizes longevity, power and tenacity.
As such, red tortoise cakes are of a high cultural significance and value amongst the Chinese people. They are typically associated with auspicious occasions and are especially prepared during birthdays and religious festivals to symbolize blessings and good fortune.
is the most important festival in Chinese culture as it represents the start of a new year for everyone where people could reconcile and welcome the new year in hope for peace and prosperity. During this festival, the Chinese people would pray for good fortune and sweets such as rice cakes
and red tortoise cakes are offered to the Chinese deities
on ritual altars. These ritual offerings are made in the hope that the sweetness from these cakes will leave a sweet taste in the mouths of the deities and they will bless the people with a prosperous year ahead.
is one of the most important gods in chinese folklore. He is believed to be the ruler of heaven
and his birthday falls on the ninth day of the first lunar month. To celebrate his birthday, the Chinese people will conduct prayers in his name and prepare food within Chinese temples
or Chinese households as ritual offerings. In Chinese culture, red tortoise cakes are considered must-haves amongst the food items that are to be offered to the Jade Emperor on altar tables.
Because the number 6 is considered an auspicious number in Chinese culture, red tortoise cakes are placed on the altar table in multiples of six such as 12, 24 or 36 in the hope that he will bless the people with good fortune and prosperity.
is the time for the Chinese to visit the burial grounds
of their ancestors
to pay their respects. Prayers are conducted to honor the ancestors and food items such as red tortoise cakes are prepared as offerings. However, there is some difference in the red tortoise cakes that are prepared for this occasion. Apart from the usual red tortoise cakes that are prepared in the color red, there are separate red tortoise cakes that are prepared in the colors green or white. The reason for these differences in color between red tortoise cakes is that these colors are of cultural significance to the Chinese people. The color red is representative of the virtuous life led by the ancestors whereas the colors green and white embody the descendants' grief and their hope that their ancestors are coping well in the afterlife.
. Also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, the Qi Xi Festival is traditionally a time for young maidens to make wishes for a good husband. When a teenage girl reaches her sixteenth birthday, red tortoise cakes are prepared within the respective households and then handed out to close friends and neighbors. The symbolic act of handing out red tortoise cakes on this day signifies that one's daughter has reached maturity and is of a marriageable age. However, this practice is seldom carried out these days due to a change in cultural thoughts and beliefs amongst modern Chinese.
Red tortoise cakes are prepared especially for such occasions when celebrating the birthdays of the elders in the family. The number of red tortoise cakes that are prepared corresponds to the age of the elder who is celebrating his or her birthday by an additional twelve. For example, if an elder is celebrating his 65th birthday, there will be 77 red tortoise cakes prepared to celebrate his or her birthday. The cultural significance of preparing these red tortoise cakes is to count one's blessings for having lived thus far and it is hoped that the additional 12 red tortoise cakes would increase one's lifespan, bringing longevity and good fortune in the process.
Red tortoise cakes are traditionally distributed to friends and relatives during this time to symbolize luck, blessings and long life for the child.
In Hokkien
tradition, red tortoise cakes that are plain and round are given out if the newborn is a baby boy whereas the traditional tortoise-shaped cakes are distributed if the newborn is a baby girl. These tortoise cakes are sometimes made larger than usual in the hope that the child will grow up big and healthy.
and Chinese pastry
shops. Because preparing red tortoise cakes is a time consuming process, some Chinese families in modern cities such as Singapore have replaced making these red tortoise cakes at home with store-bought alternatives. Pastry chefs continue to introduce innovative interpretations of this traditional pastry into the market every year, appealing to consumers who enjoy the novelty of tasting these red tortoise cakes in assorted flavors.
flour dough, mashed sweet potato
, water
, food coloring
, sugar
, oil
and wheat starch
. Traditionally, fillings for red tortoise cakes are made with the following ingredients: mung bean
paste or grounded peanuts
, sugar and oil. The fillings are then placed within the dough and the tortoise shell design imprinted on the skin's surface using molds before the red tortoise cakes are steamed over a piece of banana leaf
.The banana leaves enable the steam to penetrate the red tortoise cake that is resting on top and exudes a sweet fragrance when steamed.
A good red tortoise cake is one where the skin does not stick to the teeth and exudes a sweet fragrance coupled with a soft chewy texture.
Red tortoise cakes are traditionally made by:
and coconut
amongst many others. Catered to suit all tastes and preferences, these new products on the market bear testament to the popularity of red tortoise cakes among consumers.
. The gelatin mixture along with fillings such as cream
or custard
are poured into plastic moulds and then refrigerated to enable the gelatin mixture to set and harden. These jelly red tortoise cakes are served chilled and presented on green plastic strips instead of traditional banana leaves
. They are especially popular among children who view these cakes as a delicious treat and enjoy the jelly red tortoise cakes for its refreshing sweetness.
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
as "Ang Ku Kueh, 红龟糕" (红=red, 龟=tortoise,糕=cake or pastry), is a small round or oval shaped Chinese pastry with soft sticky glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre.
It is molded to resemble a tortoise shell and is presented resting on a square piece of banana leaf
Banana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
. As suggested by its name, red tortoise cakes are traditionally red in color and has a sticky chewy texture when eaten.
Red tortoise cakes are shaped like tortoise shells because the Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
traditionally believed that eating tortoises would bring longevity to those who are eating it and bring about good fortune and prosperity.
Considered to be auspicious items, these sweet pastries are especially prepared during important festivals such as Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
as offerings to the Chinese deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
.
Red tortoise cakes are also prepared for occasions that are culturally important to the Chinese such as a newborn baby's first month or birthdays of the elderly. Eating red tortoise cakes during these times are meant to represent blessings for the child and longevity for the elderly.In modern times, red tortoise cakes continue to be important food items during Chinese festivals in many countries such as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. However, eating red tortoise cakes in these countries is no longer restricted to special occasions for red tortoise cakes are also commercially available in many pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
shops and bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
.
There are two main components in red tortoise cakes, the skin and the filling. The skin is made mostly from glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
flour and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
whereas the fillings are made from precooked ingredients such as mung bean
Mung bean
The mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
or grounded peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. After kneading and molding the ingredients together, the red tortoise cakes are steamed on a piece of banana leaf
Banana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
. In countries such as Singapore, these pastries are popular snack items and are especially popular with children because of their sweet and savory taste. In fact, many bakeries in Singapore have created red tortoise cakes in a variety of assorted flavors, including jelly
Gelatin dessert
Gelatin desserts are desserts made with sweetened and flavored gelatin. They can be made by combining plain gelatin with other ingredients or by using a premixed blend of gelatin with additives...
and red bean
Azuki bean
The is an annual vine, Vigna angularis, widely grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas for its small bean. The cultivars most familiar in north-east Asia have a uniform red color, but white, black, gray and variously mottled varieties are also known. Scientists presume Vigna angularis var...
, to cater to all tastes and preferences.
Importance in Chinese culture
In Chinese culture, the color redColor in Chinese culture
Color in Chinese culture refers to the various colors that are considered auspicious or inauspicious . The Chinese character for color is 顏色 . In ancient China, the character more accurately meant color in the face. During the Tang Dynasty, yánsè began to refer to all color...
is traditionally used as a symbol of joy and happiness whereas the tortoise
Cultural depictions of turtles and tortoises
Turtles and tortoises are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures, snapping turtles aside. Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of longevity and stability in many cultures around the world...
symbolizes longevity, power and tenacity.
As such, red tortoise cakes are of a high cultural significance and value amongst the Chinese people. They are typically associated with auspicious occasions and are especially prepared during birthdays and religious festivals to symbolize blessings and good fortune.
Lunar New Year
Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
is the most important festival in Chinese culture as it represents the start of a new year for everyone where people could reconcile and welcome the new year in hope for peace and prosperity. During this festival, the Chinese people would pray for good fortune and sweets such as rice cakes
Rice cake
A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten, and are particularly prevalent in Asia. The origin of rice cake seems to be...
and red tortoise cakes are offered to the Chinese deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
on ritual altars. These ritual offerings are made in the hope that the sweetness from these cakes will leave a sweet taste in the mouths of the deities and they will bless the people with a prosperous year ahead.
Jade Emperor's Birthday
The Jade EmperorJade Emperor
The Jade Emperor in Chinese folk culture, is the ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell, according to a version of Taoist mythology. He is one of the most important gods of the Chinese traditional religion pantheon...
is one of the most important gods in chinese folklore. He is believed to be the ruler of heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and his birthday falls on the ninth day of the first lunar month. To celebrate his birthday, the Chinese people will conduct prayers in his name and prepare food within Chinese temples
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
or Chinese households as ritual offerings. In Chinese culture, red tortoise cakes are considered must-haves amongst the food items that are to be offered to the Jade Emperor on altar tables.
Because the number 6 is considered an auspicious number in Chinese culture, red tortoise cakes are placed on the altar table in multiples of six such as 12, 24 or 36 in the hope that he will bless the people with good fortune and prosperity.
Qing Ming Festival
Qing Ming FestivalQingming Festival
The Qingming Festival , Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice , usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar...
is the time for the Chinese to visit the burial grounds
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
of their ancestors
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
to pay their respects. Prayers are conducted to honor the ancestors and food items such as red tortoise cakes are prepared as offerings. However, there is some difference in the red tortoise cakes that are prepared for this occasion. Apart from the usual red tortoise cakes that are prepared in the color red, there are separate red tortoise cakes that are prepared in the colors green or white. The reason for these differences in color between red tortoise cakes is that these colors are of cultural significance to the Chinese people. The color red is representative of the virtuous life led by the ancestors whereas the colors green and white embody the descendants' grief and their hope that their ancestors are coping well in the afterlife.
Qi Xi Festival
Qi Xi Festival falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendarChinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
. Also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, the Qi Xi Festival is traditionally a time for young maidens to make wishes for a good husband. When a teenage girl reaches her sixteenth birthday, red tortoise cakes are prepared within the respective households and then handed out to close friends and neighbors. The symbolic act of handing out red tortoise cakes on this day signifies that one's daughter has reached maturity and is of a marriageable age. However, this practice is seldom carried out these days due to a change in cultural thoughts and beliefs amongst modern Chinese.
Birthdays
In Chinese culture, birthdays are of greater significance after one reaches the age of 60.Red tortoise cakes are prepared especially for such occasions when celebrating the birthdays of the elders in the family. The number of red tortoise cakes that are prepared corresponds to the age of the elder who is celebrating his or her birthday by an additional twelve. For example, if an elder is celebrating his 65th birthday, there will be 77 red tortoise cakes prepared to celebrate his or her birthday. The cultural significance of preparing these red tortoise cakes is to count one's blessings for having lived thus far and it is hoped that the additional 12 red tortoise cakes would increase one's lifespan, bringing longevity and good fortune in the process.
Newborn's first month
According to Chinese custom, when a baby turns one month old, a ceremony is held to celebrate his/her first month of life (the Chinese term translates as "full moon").Red tortoise cakes are traditionally distributed to friends and relatives during this time to symbolize luck, blessings and long life for the child.
In Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
tradition, red tortoise cakes that are plain and round are given out if the newborn is a baby boy whereas the traditional tortoise-shaped cakes are distributed if the newborn is a baby girl. These tortoise cakes are sometimes made larger than usual in the hope that the child will grow up big and healthy.
Availability
Traditionally prepared during significant occasions such as festivals or birthdays, red tortoise cakes have become popular among many people who favor them as a delicious snack. Though many Chinese families these days continue to prepare red tortoise cakes within the household for special occasions, red tortoise cakes are available for sale all year in many bakeriesBakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and Chinese pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
shops. Because preparing red tortoise cakes is a time consuming process, some Chinese families in modern cities such as Singapore have replaced making these red tortoise cakes at home with store-bought alternatives. Pastry chefs continue to introduce innovative interpretations of this traditional pastry into the market every year, appealing to consumers who enjoy the novelty of tasting these red tortoise cakes in assorted flavors.
Preparation
The skin of the red tortoise cake is made from glutinous riceGlutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
flour dough, mashed sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, food coloring
Food coloring
Food coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, oil
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
and wheat starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
. Traditionally, fillings for red tortoise cakes are made with the following ingredients: mung bean
Mung bean
The mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
paste or grounded peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, sugar and oil. The fillings are then placed within the dough and the tortoise shell design imprinted on the skin's surface using molds before the red tortoise cakes are steamed over a piece of banana leaf
Banana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
.The banana leaves enable the steam to penetrate the red tortoise cake that is resting on top and exudes a sweet fragrance when steamed.
A good red tortoise cake is one where the skin does not stick to the teeth and exudes a sweet fragrance coupled with a soft chewy texture.
Red tortoise cakes are traditionally made by:
- Mixing and kneading the ingredients for the skin to form a dough
- Cooking the ingredients used for the filling such as mung bean and peanut
- Mashing the cooked ingredients together with sugar and oil to form a sweet paste
- Flattening the dough into smaller rounded shapes
- Placing a portion of the sweetened paste on the dough as filling before rolling the dough into a ball
- Pressing the ball into a mold to create the iconic "tortoise shell" design
- Steaming it over boiling water for 10 minutes on a piece of banana leaf
- Brushing the cooked red tortoise cakes with oil to give the cakes a glossy shine on the surface
Red tortoise cake mold
Red tortoise cake molds are an important tool when making red tortoise cakes. Apart from molding the red tortoise cakes into perfectly round or oval shapes, these molds are also used to imprint patterns onto the surfaces of the red tortoise cakes. Usually carved out of wood or molded from plastics, there are many different types of red tortoise cake molds available on the market. There are also red tortoise molds that create floral patterns instead of the tortoise shell pattern seen on traditional red tortoise cakes. These molds are used to enhance the aesthetic value of red tortoise cakes and there is no cultural significance attached to the differing designs on these molds.Varieties
Many bakeries and pastry shops have added new twists to the traditional red tortoise cake and found ways to introduce innovative and creative variants of this pastry. In Singapore, apart from the usual fillings of peanut or mung bean paste, there are now red tortoise cakes filled with exotic flavors such as durianDurian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
amongst many others. Catered to suit all tastes and preferences, these new products on the market bear testament to the popularity of red tortoise cakes among consumers.
Jelly red tortoise cake
Though it looks exactly like the traditional red tortoise cake physically, jelly red tortoise cake is significantly different from its traditional counterpart. Instead of a skin that is made from glutinous rice flour, jelly red tortoise cakes have skins that are made of sweetened gelatinGelatin dessert
Gelatin desserts are desserts made with sweetened and flavored gelatin. They can be made by combining plain gelatin with other ingredients or by using a premixed blend of gelatin with additives...
. The gelatin mixture along with fillings such as cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
or custard
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
are poured into plastic moulds and then refrigerated to enable the gelatin mixture to set and harden. These jelly red tortoise cakes are served chilled and presented on green plastic strips instead of traditional banana leaves
Banana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
. They are especially popular among children who view these cakes as a delicious treat and enjoy the jelly red tortoise cakes for its refreshing sweetness.