Luó bo gāo (turnip cake) is a traditional savory steamed or pan-fried dim sum dish popular in southern China, especially Guangdong and Hong Kong. Despite its name, it contains no actual turnip root but is made primarily from shredded white radish (called 'luó bo' in Mandarin), rice flour, water, and seasonings like dried shrimp, Chinese sausage, or scallions. The characters break down as 萝 (luó) and 卜 (bo), together forming the word for 'radish', and 糕 (gāo), meaning 'cake' or 'steamed pudding' — indicating both its main ingredient and its soft, dense, cake-like texture.

This dish is commonly served during Chinese New Year as a symbol of prosperity (because 'gāo' sounds like the word for 'high' or 'elevated'), and also appears year-round in teahouses and street food stalls. It’s usually cut into slices and pan-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, then served warm with soy sauce or chili oil. Though sometimes called 'carrot cake' in English-speaking regions, it contains no carrot — a frequent source of confusion for learners.