Every year, my mom would make big batches of Chinese turnip cakes, and they were always a hit. Friends, family, neighbours, everyone loved them. I remember how much work went into making them. There was all the peeling, grating, chopping and steaming, and then finally, the best part: slicing them up and pan-frying them until the outside was golden and crispy.

My sister and I especially loved eating them straight from the pan while they were still hot, with my mom’s homemade dipping sauce on the side. Now that I have my own boys, I’ve carried on making turnip cakes for our family. It’s one of those recipes that takes me back to my childhood every time I make it, and I’m happy that my kids get to enjoy it, too.

Why We Make Turnip Cakes for Lunar New Year

Chinese turnip cakes, known as lo bak go (蘿蔔糕), are a popular dish during Lunar New Year. They’re also a familiar sight at dim sum restaurants, where they’re usually served sliced and pan-fried.

Despite the English name, the main ingredient isn’t the turnip most of us picture. Traditional lo bak go is made with daikon radish, which has a mild flavour and becomes tender when cooked. The dish also has a special meaning during Lunar New Year. In Cantonese, the word lo bak refers to radish, and its pronunciation is associated with good fortune in some traditional wordplay. Because of this, turnip cakes are linked with luck and prosperity for the coming year.

I love that a dish made with such simple ingredients has become part of so many families’ celebrations. In our family, though, the biggest reason to make them is that everyone loves eating them!

What Goes Into Chinese Turnip Cakes?

There are different ways to make lo bak go, and every family has its own preferences. This is the version I make for my family, with daikon radish, Chinese sausage, cured pork, dried shrimp and a few other ingredients that give the cakes their savoury flavour.

Daikon Radish

Daikon is the main ingredient and gives the cakes their characteristic flavour and texture. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste, and it softens as it cooks. I like to grate most of my radish but leave some in small chunks. That way, you get a little more texture in the finished cake instead of everything blending together. When buying daikon, look for one that feels firm and heavy for its size, with smooth skin.

Rice Flour

Regular rice flour forms the base of the cake and helps it set during steaming. Make sure you’re using regular rice flour rather than glutinous rice flour. They behave differently, and glutinous rice flour would give you a much stickier result than you want for traditional turnip cakes.

Wheat Starch

I use wheat starch along with the rice flour. It helps give the cakes a more delicate texture. Wheat starch isn’t the same as regular wheat flour, so check the packaging when shopping. It is wheat-derived and isn’t suitable for people who need to avoid wheat.

Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong)

My boys love the Chinese sausage in these cakes. Lap cheong has a distinctive sweet and savoury flavour that works really well with the daikon. Once it’s cooked, it adds little bites of richness throughout the cake. You can usually find it at Asian grocery stores, often sold in small links.

Cured Pork (Lap Yuk)

This is my husband’s favourite addition.

Lap yuk is Chinese cured pork, and it adds a salty, savoury flavour to the cakes. I like having both the sausage and cured pork because they bring slightly different flavours to the finished dish. I dice them into small pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the mixture.

Dried Shrimp

Dried shrimp might be small, but they add a lot of flavour. Once rehydrated and chopped, they give the cakes a deeper savoury taste. Soak them in warm water before using them, then drain and chop them into small pieces.

Scallions, Salt, Sugar and White Pepper

Scallions add a little freshness and colour, while white pepper gives the cakes a gentle warmth.

I use a small amount of salt because the Chinese sausage, cured pork and dried shrimp already contribute plenty of savoury flavour. A little sugar helps balance the taste of the radish. The amounts can be adjusted to suit your family’s preferences, especially depending on how salty your cured ingredients are.

Water

Water helps bring the flour and starch mixture together and gives the cake its final texture. The daikon also releases liquid as it cooks, so the consistency of the mixture before steaming is important.

How I Like to Serve Turnip Cakes

Pan-Fried Until Golden: You can eat turnip cakes freshly steamed, but I much prefer them pan-fried. I love how the outside turns golden and crispy while the inside stays soft and tender. Just heat a little oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the slices in a single layer, and fry until both sides are nicely golden. I like mine straight from the pan while they’re still hot and crispy.

As Part of a Dim Sum Spread: Turnip cakes are a dim sum favourite, and they go so well with other dishes like har gow and char siu bao. If you’re serving them at a weekend brunch, I’d make extra. They tend to go pretty quickly, especially when they’re pan-fried until golden and crispy.

With a Dipping Sauce: A good dipping sauce makes turnip cakes even better. A simple mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a little sesame oil is a classic choice. If you like some heat, try chili garlic sauce, or go with hoisin if you prefer something sweeter. My husband loves XO sauce and puts it on just about everything. We usually have a few sauces on hand so everyone can enjoy their turnip cakes the way they like.