As Lunar New Year approaches, home cooks seeking to master the classic Lo Bak Go (radish cake) can now benefit from expert guidance. Yu Ho-pan, Executive Chef of Culinary Operations at Ocean Park, recently shared a streamlined, foolproof recipe for Scallop and Cured Meat Radish Cake, offering essential techniques—particularly how to achieve a firm consistency without the risk of crumbling—to help novices confidently prepare this traditional auspicious delicacy for the upcoming Year of the Horse in 2026.
The preparation of radish cake is a cornerstone of festive Cantonese cuisine, symbolizing prosperity and a higher income in the new year. While many homemade versions often suffer from a loose or overly powdery texture due to imprecise ratios and mixing techniques, Chef Yu, affectionately known as “Chef Pan,” simplifies the process, focusing on quality ingredients and a critical five-step process designed for beginner success.
Eliminating Common Radish Cake Fails
Traditional recipes often involve complex measurements of rice flour, sometimes mixed with cornstarch, which complicates the process for non-professionals. Chef Pan’s methodology bypasses this complexity, guaranteeing a resilient yet tender cake by emphasizing specific ingredient choices and a unique binding technique.
Crucially, the chef advocates for the use of Japanese Daikon radish over standard Chinese varieties. Japanese Daikon, which is now widely accessible in local supermarkets, offers a higher natural sweetness and moisture content, significantly enhancing the final flavor profile of the cake. Additionally, rather than grating the radish into fine shreds, Chef Pan recommends cutting it into thin strips. This choice provides a superior, more substantial texture that prevents the cake from becoming overly soft after steaming.
Harnessing Flavor Through Ingredient Liquors
A key flavour enhancement, according to Chef Pan, lies in utilizing the soaking liquids from certain ingredients. He stresses that the water used to rehydrate both dried scallops and dried shiitake mushrooms overnight should never be discarded. These flavourful liquids—measuring 160ml each for this recipe—are the “essence” of the cake and should be incorporated into the cooking process.
The total ingredient list for a batch serving four or more people, with a preparation time under two hours (excluding steaming), is as follows:
- Water-milled rice flour: 300g
- Radish (preferably Japanese Daikon): 1.5 catties
- Cured Chinese sausage (Lāp Cheong): 1 pair
- Cured pork belly (Lāp Yuk): half a strip
- Dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked overnight): 4 pieces
- Dried scallops (soaked overnight): small amount
- Seasonings: 2 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp chicken powder, 1 tsp sugar
- Liquids: 160ml Shiitake soaking water, 160ml Scallop soaking water
Achieving the Non-Crumbling Texture
The most valuable piece of advice Chef Pan offers addresses the widespread issue of radish cake falling apart post-steaming. The secret is to pre-cook only a small portion of the rice flour batter with the mixed savory ingredients before adding the rest of the slurry.
The Five-Step Simplified Process:
- Sauté Aromatics: Gently fry the Lāp Cheong (without added oil, allowing the fat to render), then add the Lāp Yuk, mushrooms, and finally the soaked scallops. Turn off the heat immediately after the scallops are added to prevent them from toughening up. Set aside.
- Cook the Radish: Use the same pan (uncleaned, to retain curing meat flavour) to slowly sauté the radish strips until they release their moisture. Incorporate seasonings and half a cup of the shiitake soaking water, then return the cured meats to the pot and mix, setting it aside.
- Prepare the Slurry: Combine the rice flour with the scallop water and the remaining mushroom water, stirring until smooth.
- Crucial Binding Step: Add only a few tablespoons of the prepared slurry to the main radish mixture. Cook this small portion over low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens significantly. This partially cooked slurry acts as a binding agent. Turn off the heat before pouring in the remaining uncooked slurry and mixing thoroughly.
- Steam and Test: Pour the final mixture into a mold. Steam for approximately 1.5 hours over boiling water. Check for doneness by inserting a chopstick; it should come out clean, indicating a perfectly set cake.
This controlled cooking of the initial flour mixture prevents the final cake from being loose or crumbly, resulting in a perfectly firm, moist, and aromatic festive treat. Home cooks are encouraged to follow these precise techniques to ensure their homemade radish cakes are a successful highlight of their Lunar New Year celebrations.