After the completion of the city wall, the prince of Wu was overjoyed and called everyone to celebrate, but Wu Zixu was not happy. After returning to the camp, Wu Zixu quietly told his entourage: "After my death, if the country is in trouble and the people are hungry, they can dig three feet under Xiangmen (one of the 60 main gates in Suzhou) to get food."
Later, Wu Zixu was framed and committed suicide, Wu died in Yue, and residents starved everywhere. At this time, the followers remembered Wu Zixu's instructions before his death, and they took all the people to Xiangmen to tear down the city and dig the land. It was found that the original brick of Xiangmen City was not made of mud, but a "brick" made of glutinous rice ground into powder. Since then, in order to commemorate Wu Zixu's achievements, people in Suzhou have eaten rice cakes to commemorate him during the Spring Festival. This custom has been passed down to this day.
Suzhou's rice cakes are best made by Daoxiang Village Tea Shop in Guanqian Street, Suzhou. They are divided into lard rice cakes and brown sugar and white sugar rice cakes. The rice cake is fine and waxy, bright in color, flexible after steaming, not greasy in water, sweet when fried, and non-toxic for a long time. There are four kinds of lard rice cakes: rose, osmanthus, jujube paste and mint. Its characteristic is bright and beautiful. Fat and fragrant, but not greasy. Its unique way of eating is to slice the rice cake, dip it in egg liquid (slightly mixed with flour), and then cook it in a hot oil pan. Can't get tired of eating for a long time, and has a unique flavor.