From Lunar New Year Tables to Everyday Breakfast: The Story of Lo Bak Go
Few dishes in the Cantonese culinary canon carry as much cultural weight as lo bak go, the beloved radish cake that graces dim sum carts and family dinner tables alike. Though often simply called turnip cake in English menus, this savory preparation deserves far more recognition than it typically receives outside of Chinese food communities.
The story of lo bak go begins with its namesake ingredient. Bak means white radish or daikon in Cantonese, and lo refers to the act of pounding or grinding. The traditional method calls for hand-grating the daikon into fine shreds, a labor-intensive process that many modern home cooks replace with a food processor. However, purists insist that hand-grating produces a superior texture, one that is slightly irregular and holds onto the seasonings better than machine-shredded radish.
What transforms grated radish into a cake is rice flour, the same starch that gives rice noodles their chewiness. The flour is mixed with the grated radish along with its natural juices to create a batter that is part liquid, part solid. Before steaming, this batter receives an assembly of flavor boosters that can include dried shrimp, Chinese cured sausage, dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, and sometimes bits of fried shallot or pork belly.
Each family has its own ratio of these ingredients, and debates about what belongs in an authentic lo bak go can become surprisingly heated. Some insist on a minimalist approach with just daikon, rice flour, and a few strips of lap cheong. Others prefer a maximalist version loaded with every preserved ingredient available. Neither approach is wrong. The beauty of the dish lies in its adaptability.
The steaming process takes between one and two hours depending on the size of the mold. Traditional cooks use round aluminum or stainless steel pans, but ceramic bowls, glass containers, and even loaf pans work well. The goal is a cake that is firm enough to slice cleanly but still tender and slightly translucent when cut.
It is what happens after steaming, however, that truly elevates the dish. Lo bak go is almost always pan-fried before serving. Slices about half an inch thick are placed in a hot oiled pan until both sides develop a deep golden crust. The contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft, steaming interior is the defining characteristic of a well-made radish cake. For breakfast, some families crack an egg over the slices during frying, creating a rich and satisfying morning meal.
During the Lunar New Year, lo bak go takes on symbolic importance. The word go sounds like the Cantonese word for tall or high, and serving it during the holiday represents aspirations for growth and prosperity in the coming year. Many families prepare large batches in advance, steaming them and keeping them refrigerated, then frying fresh portions throughout the holiday period.
The dish has also found its way into street food culture, particularly in Hong Kong, where it is sold on skewers at dai pai dong stalls and night markets. These street versions tend to be simpler, focusing on the crispy-fried exterior, and are often served with a sweet soy sauce or chili oil drizzle.
For anyone interested in Chinese home cooking, mastering lo bak go is an essential milestone. It teaches fundamental techniques like working with rice flour, balancing preserved ingredients, and the art of the steam-then-fry method. The result is a dish that is at once humble and deeply satisfying, connecting generations through flavor and tradition.
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