Many exotic foodstuffs fill the annals of Chinese history. Rice, a common grain the world over, figures prominently. Five thousand years of rice growing have helped make China the number one rice producer in the world, comprising one third of the world's total rice production. Glutinous rice, one of the three major varieties of rice grown in China, can also be called sticky rice due to its sticky nature, and wine rice because many of China's best rice wines are made from it.

Each Chinese festival features, especially, a different confection made of glutinous rice on the holiday menu, a place accorded no other food.

The Chinese New Year brings with it high expectations, and since the word for "high" (kao) has the same sound in Chinese as the word for cake, many different types of cakes are made--such as the gold and silver New Year cake--symbolizing all the lofty hopes for the year ahead.

The people of Taiwan consider the ninth day of the lunar year to be the birthday of the King of Heaven. The turtle is a traditional symbol of longevity; an auspicious red turtle cake signifies to heaven the family's gratitude for the good life, and its prayers for continued peace and good fortune.

The Lantern Festival brings with it an abundance of sweet rice dumplings which physically demonstrate the hope that the approaching year will be a well-rounded one. This festival, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, marks the official end of the New Year celebrations.

On Tomb-Sweeping day, ai-tsao cakes are used in rituals honoring the ancestors, symbolic of the hopes that the descendants of the family may strike it rich.

On the occasion of the Dragon Boat Festival, which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the traditional food is tsung-tzu--pyramid shaped dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves--a favorite on that occasion, and popular throughout the year.

The seventh lunar month brings the Ghost Festival, a time for remembering departed loved ones and friends. All temples stage ceremonies intended to guide lost souls to their final resting places. Cup-shaped taro root cakes are commonly offered on family altars as well as eaten.

The day the Buddha received enlightenment--the eighth day of the twelfth month--is also the occasion of the year-end sacrifice to the gods. People enjoy a kind of congee made with grains, nuts and dates on this day.

On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the kitchen gods return to heaven to report on the doings of each household. Many householders, to assure a good report, bribe the gods with sticky rice candy, sweet rice balls, and New Year cake.

Glutinous rice comes in two kernel types--round and long. The round-grain variety is soft and sticky; it is used for making cakes of all sorts, and Hunanese style pyramid dumplings. The long-grain variety is hard, and pliable; it is used for making rainbow rice, for cakes, and for Taiwanese style pyramid dumplings.

Glutinous rice is consumed both in its grain form and as a ground flour by the Chinese people. From the grain form are made such dishes as tsung-tzu (pyramid dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves), tube-shaped rice cake, rainbow rice, eight treasure rice, pearl balls, rice crust, stuffed lotus roots with syrup, and crispy chicken stuffed with rice.

Tsung-tzu (pyramid dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves) were first remarked on in the historic lore of old China in connection with a patriotic poet who drowned himself to dramatize the need for reform in the country.

To commemorate him in northern China, people took plain rice or rice puffs and dipped them in sugar. Out of the south came salty meat tsung-tzu; from Hunan came bean paste tsung-tzu, and from Canton wrapped and steamed tsung-tzu. Fresh from the pot, salty meat pyramid dumplings emit a drifting aroma that can't be resisted.

For the salty meat filling choose quality brisket, and soak in salted water for a day, add soy sauce, after which add rice wine. To make it most delicious use lean meat, but add one small piece of fat to give it full flavor.

For the bean paste filling, the paste must be finely washed, after which the sugar is added. The outer coverings of rice and bamboo leaves must be applied loosely, otherwise the rice grains will go into the bean paste.

The most unusual of the dumplings is the Cantonese wrapped and steamed form. The ingredients include ham, pork, walnuts, egg yolks, chestnuts, cha shao pork, chicken, duck, green bean paste, mushrooms, and dried shrimps. Due to their large size, they are wrapped in lotus leaves to hold them together.

Taiwanese style dumplings, which are shaped into pyramids, utilize the long-grain variety of rice. This is first fried with garlic, onions, and soy sauce, then put aside. Now a filling is prepared of braised pork with brown sauce, shrimp, salty egg yolks, mushrooms, diced bean curd, diced bamboo shoots, cashews, and crisp fish fillet. This is wrapped with the pre-cooked rice in bamboo leaves, and then tied, and steamed or boiled. They have a delicate flavor so attractive that overeating is a danger. Sweet pyramid dumplings are made with the round-grain variety of rice. Sugar and honey are added and the dumplings are wrapped in fresh bamboo leaves and chilled.

Eight treasure rice is made with kidney beans, red beans, raisins, preserved plums--both yellow and red--red and black dates, kumquats, longan, and peaches; the results are colorfully eye-catching. This is a covering for rice stuffed with bean paste or taro paste; making for a really precious taste.

In order to make this treasure chest of culinary delights, wash and dry the rice, spread it in a bowl coated with shortening, and arrange the other ingredients in circles. The rice stuffed with paste is then buried deep within the mixture of other ingredients.

Ground into flour, glutinous rice can be used to make cakes, puffs, and rice balls.

New Year cakes, so named because they are traditionally eaten as a specialty during the New Year season, are sweet; there are many different styles and types.

New Year cakes are easy to make, using glutinous rice powder, and sugar. First, dissolve the sugar in boiling water; add the glutinous rice powder and mix well into a paste. Sweet osmanthus, pork fat (lard), sugar, date paste, and bean paste may be added for an even richer flavor. Various cooking methods such as frying, baking, deep frying, or boiling can be used in preparing them.

The Chinese people have concentrated not only on the art of growing rice, but also on forming it into sweet delicacies, prime examples of the variety and style of the vast storehouse of Chinese gourmet dishes.

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1. New Year cake--both sweet and salty. 2. Plain rice pyramid dumplings can be dipped in honey, sugar or salt brine and eaten. 3. Rice balls have a well-rounded flavor.

1. Soft Yellow pyramid dumplings may be eaten with sugar after chilling. 2. Huchow style pyramid dumplings stuffed with meat filling or bean paste. 3. Salty rice cake is filled with rainbow rice. 4. Delicious shao mai from Hupei. 5. Duck stuffed with rainbow rice can be prepared using various methods. 6. Pig's blood cake is made using peanut flour and chili sauce. 7. A platter of appetizing spicy rice sausage.

1. Bamboo tubes stuffed with rice. 2. Rice puffs stuffed with shredded fish, shredded meat, dried turnips; and fritters make a delicious breakfast treat. 3. Time-consuming-to-make stuffed lotus roots in syrup. 4. Glutinous rice roll. 5. Rice crust cooked with vegetables--a delicious between-meal snack. 6. Colorful eight treasure rice--a mouth watering delight. 7. Glutinous rice cake used in ancestral rituals. 8. Chewy sweet glutinous rice cake.

1. Cakes made from rice flour are a perfect teatime treat. 2. Phoenix eye cakes melt in your mouth. 3. Crystalline cakes engraved with auspicious Chinese characters. 4. A rich cake. 5. Ting sheng kao is a specialty from Chekiang.

1. These sweet red and white rice balls would make anyone drool. 2. Fermented rice can be eaten in many ways. 3. Four seasons cake. 4. Red bean paste cake and sesame-seed cake. 5. Sweet rice balls. 6. Salty meat rice balls. 7. Sponge cake with dried fruits added.

1. Fried rice balls. 2. Steamed bean paste puffs. 3. Red turtle cake. 4. Ai-tsao cake. 5. Ingot and talisman cakes remind one of China's glorious history. 6. Five generation cake--hopes of fame and fortune embodied.

Above. Taro root cake. Below, Colorful Chung-yang cake, decorated with gala pennants.

2. Plain rice pyramid dumplings can be dipped in honey, sugar or salt brine and eaten.

3. Rice balls have a well-rounded flavor.

1. Soft Yellow pyramid dumplings may be eaten with sugar after chilling.

2. Huchow style pyramid dumplings stuffed with meat filling or bean paste.

3. Salty rice cake is filled with rainbow rice.

4. Delicious shao mai from Hupei.

5. Duck stuffed with rainbow rice can be prepared using various methods.

6. Pig's blood cake is made using peanut flour and chili sauce.

7. A platter of appetizing spicy rice sausage.

1. Bamboo tubes stuffed with rice.

2. Rice puffs stuffed with shredded fish, shredded meat, dried turnips; and fritters make a delicious breakfast treat.

3. Time-consuming-to-make stuffed lotus roots in syrup.

4. Glutinous rice roll.

5. Rice crust cooked with vegetables--a delicious between-meal snack.

6. Colorful eight treasure rice--a mouth watering delight.

7. Glutinous rice cake used in ancestral rituals.

8. Chewy sweet glutinous rice cake.

1. Cakes made from rice flour are a perfect teatime treat.

2. Phoenix eye cakes melt in your mouth.

3. Crystalline cakes engraved with auspicious Chinese characters.

4. A rich cake.

5. Ting sheng kao is a specialty from Chekiang.

1. These sweet red and white rice balls would make anyone drool.

2. Fermented rice can be eaten in many ways.

3. Four seasons cake.

4. Red bean paste cake and sesame-seed cake.

5. Sweet rice balls.

6. Salty meat rice balls.

7. Sponge cake with dried fruits added.

1. Fried rice balls.

2. Steamed bean paste puffs.

3. Red turtle cake.

4. Ai-tsao cake.

5. Ingot and talisman cakes remind one of China's glorious history.

6. Five generation cake--hopes of fame and fortune embodied.

Above. Taro root cake.

Below, Colorful Chung-yang cake, decorated with gala pennants.