Cifantuan

Cifantuan (Simplified Chinese: 糍饭团; Traditional Chinese: 糍飯團; Pinyin: Cífàntuán; also ci fan tuan or sticky rice roll) is a Shanghai and Jiangnan breakfast item of warm glutinous rice pressed or rolled around a length of Youtiao (fried dough stick), often with pork floss, pickled vegetables, or seaweed. It is a handheld street and convenience-store breakfast, not a sushi-style vinegared rice roll and not the same as Taiwanese fan tuan variants that may use non-glutinous rice—though related "rice roll" breakfasts share the wrapped form..

Characteristics

Exterior is white sticky rice, sometimes wrapped in plastic netting or seaweed; interior shows crisp-chewy youtiao and savory floss. Flavor is mildly sweet rice against salty-savory fillings. Eaten warm.

Ingredients (overview)

Glutinous rice, youtiao, optional pork floss (肉松), pickled mustard or cucumber, dried seaweed, sesame. Distinct from plain Mantou or Congee breakfasts.

History and culture

Shanghai morning street food alongside soy milk and youtiao; modern chains sell standardized cifantuan. English menus may say "sticky rice roll" or "ci fan tuan." See Shanghai Food and Youtiao.

Serving and variations

Breakfast takeaway with soy milk. See Shanghai Food, Youtiao, and Jianbing.

See also

• Shanghai Food
• Youtiao
• Jianbing
• Mantou
• Gua Bao
• List of dishes (A-Z)