酒釀

This is jiu niang, a popular dessert in parts of China. My mom makes multiple batches throughout winter, and it's one of my favorite desserts to have, especially on a really cold night. Knowing how much I love and miss it, my mom made extra this year so that I could thoroughly enjoy it over the holidays, and saved a batch for me to take back to SF.

My mom is really particular about the yeast that she uses, and swears by a specific brand from a specific grocery store in Taiwan. Whenever relatives visit, they know to bring my mom a stash. Having tasted restaurant versions and based on how people rave about my mom's jiu niang, I'm guessing that the yeast really is key. While jiu niang is ready to eat, as a dessert it is usually served with tang yuan (glutinous rice balls) soup.