Lo mai gai (), literally "glutinous rice chicken", is a classic
dim sum
Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...
dish served during
yum cha
''Yum cha'' is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and ''dim sum.'' The practice is popular in Cantonese-speaking regions, including Guangdong province, Guangxi province, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is also carried out in other ...
.
[Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. 005(2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. . p27.] The portion size of ''lo mai gai'' is generally quite large, so there is a smaller variant created known as ''jan ju gai'' ().
Description
Lo mai gai is mostly a
southern Chinese
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not ...
food. It contains glutinous rice filled with chicken,
Chinese mushrooms,
Chinese sausage
Chinese sausage is a generic term referring to the many different types of sausages originating in China. The southern flavor of Chinese sausage is commonly known by its Cantonese name (or ) ().
Varieties
There is a choice of fatty or lean s ...
,
scallion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ch ...
s, and sometimes dried
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
or salted egg.
[
] The ball of rice is then wrapped in a dried
lotus leaf and steamed.
In
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
,
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
or
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
leaves may be used instead.
Gallery
Image:Lo mai gai takeaway style.jpg, The takeaway style of lo mai gai (usually served in a small bowl)
File:Machangjf.JPG, Machang (zongzi
''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus t ...
or ma-chang 肉粽, a variant of lo mai gai shaped in a triangular pattern
See also
*
Bánh chưng
''Bánh chưng'' is a traditional Vietnamese food which is made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork and other ingredients. Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Liêu, a prince of the last king of the Sixth Hùng Dynasty, who became the ...
*
Bánh tét
*
Bánh tẻ
*
Chinese sticky rice
*
Corunda
Corunda is a Mexican type of tamale, but wrapped in a long corn or reed plant leaf, and folded, making a triangular shape or spherical shape. They are typically steamed until golden and eaten with sour cream (Mexican crema)and red salsa. Unlike t ...
*
Hallaca
Hallaca (, ; alt. spelling, ''hayaca'' and ''ayaca'') is a traditional dish from Venezuela that looks like a Tamale, tamal, though different in flavour, texture, ingredients and cultural significance. It consists of corn dough stuffed with a ste ...
*
Pamonha
Pamonha () is a traditional Brazilian food. It is a boiled paste made from sweet corn whisked in coconut milk, typically served wrapped in corn husks.
See also
* Bollos (Panamanian cuisine)
*Chimaki, from Japan
* Humita
*List of Brazilian dishe ...
*
Pasteles
''Pasteles'' (; singular ''pastel''), also pastelles in the English-speaking Caribbean, are a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, ...
*
Suman
*
Tamale
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...
*
Zongzi
''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus t ...
Notes
References
{{Authority control
Dim sum
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese words and phrases
Hong Kong cuisine
Glutinous rice dishes
Singaporean cuisine