米糕 (mǐ gāo) literally means 'rice cake' — 米 (mǐ) means 'rice', and 糕 (gāo) refers to a soft, steamed or pounded cake made from glutinous or non-glutinous rice flour. Unlike Western cakes, 米糕 is typically dense, chewy, and subtly sweet, often flavored with ingredients like brown sugar, red bean paste, or osmanthus. It’s traditionally associated with festivals and celebrations in southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asian Chinese communities.

This food appears commonly in breakfast settings, as street snacks, or as festive offerings during the Lunar New Year and Qingming Festival. Regional varieties include Guangdong’s ‘nian gao’ (though that’s usually written with 年糕), Fujian’s layered steamed 米糕, and Taiwanese ‘mochi-like’ versions. While sometimes confused with 年糕 (nián gao), 米糕 specifically emphasizes rice as the base ingredient and tends to be lighter and less sticky than traditional nián gao.