Suzhou-style sugar rice cake has a long history and is famous both at home and abroad. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. Suzhou, a famous ancient city, was the capital of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. Based on the military needs at that time, King Wu Helu named Wu Zixu to build the city and called it the "Great City of Helu".

When the city wall was completed, King Wu was overjoyed and summoned all the generals to celebrate the victory, but Wu Zixu was the only one who was unhappy. After Wu Zixu returned to the camp, he quietly told his followers: "After my death, if the country is in trouble and the people are hungry and have no food, they can go to Xiangmen (one of the 60 main city gates in Suzhou) and dig three feet into the ground to get food."

Later, Wu Zixu was framed and committed suicide. The state of Wu was destroyed by the state of Yue. The residents went without food and starved to death everywhere. At this time, the followers remembered Wu Zixu's instructions before his death, and took the people to Xiangmen to demolish the city and dig the ground. Only then did we discover that the bricks of Xiangmen were not made of mud, but "bricks" made from glutinous rice ground into powder. Since then, in order to remember Wu Zixu's achievements, the people of Suzhou eat rice cakes every family on the Spring Festival to commemorate him. This custom has been passed down to this day.

Suzhou’s rice cakes are the best made at “Daoxiangcun Tea Shop” on Guanqian Street, Suzhou City. They are divided into lard rice cakes and red and white sugar rice cakes. They are powdery, glutinous and sweet, white and bright in color, steamed and pliable. It’s not greasy when boiled, sweet when fried, and non-toxic when stored for a long time. There are four types of lard rice cake: rose, osmanthus, date paste and mint. Its characteristics are bright and beautiful in color. Fat, fragrant and glutinous, you can eat it without feeling greasy. Its unique way of eating is to cut the rice cake into thin slices, dip it in egg liquid (add a little flour and mix well), put it in a hot oil pan and cook it for a while before eating. You won’t get tired of eating it for a long time, and it has a unique flavor.