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Mah Tai Goh also called Ma lai goh or Ma lai gao. Mah tai goh is a kind of dessert which is very popular in Guang Dong and Hong Kong in China. It usually can be seen at a traditional Teahouse in Guang Dong and Hong Kong. Traditional Mah Tai Goh is made up by the Lard, butter, flour, and eggs, by using Bamboo steamer fermented for a long time to make the cake be puffiness. An entire Mah tai goh is a huge yellow round cake. So in the Teahouse, Mah tai goh is sold in the form of slices in general. There are many ways to make a Mah tai goh, but in general, the taste of all kinds of different types of Mah tai goh is intent to be very soft, sweet and chewiness.

The historical boost of Mah tai goh
Mah Tai Goh is a kind of dessert with a long history. There are two main hypotheses about Mah Tai Goh's area of origin. One is Mah Tai Goh comes from Guangdong in China and then brought to Malaysia through the second chines immigration wave in Malaya history during the British-ruled period. Another hypothesis is Mah Tai Goh has developed form British dessert and then took back to China by Chinese immigration.

Mah tai goh comes from Guangdong in China and then be brought to Malaysia
From the early 1930s, thousands of Chinese immigrants came to Malaya during the British-ruled period, in search for escaping the poverty in China. Which is the second chines immigration wave in Malaya history and also considered as the most enormous influx of immigration to Malaysia. Most of the Chinese immigration during that time came from Fujian and Guangdong provinces in the south-east coast of China. This largest immigration population brought with it various dialects and cultures, such as Cantonese and Cantonese cuisine, into Malaysia and thus has laid the foundation for the cultural diversity of Malaysia today. Malaysia today is a multicultural country, and their food culture deeply influenced by multiculturalism. Malaysian cuisines are diverse and include features brought by immigrants from different countries. In Malaysia, tourists can find various foods from all over the world, and Chinese food is probably most varied in Malaysia. Not only for Mah Tai Goh, such as Dim Sum and Bah Kut Teh are also popular in Malaysia. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider that Mah tai goh came from Guangdong in China and then brought to Malaysia.



Mah tai goh boosts in English cuisine, and then be brought back to China by Chinese immigration
In the British Malaysian era, colonists from the English still retained the habit of drinking afternoon tea to eat cakes. However, because the ingredients like milk, and props like ovens that Westerners like, are not common in Malaysia. So Malaysia locals use coconut milk and steamers instead and then made a different version of the English cake, which is the Mah tai goh. At the meantime, because during the British Malaysian era, there are many immigrants from Guangdong province were frequently travelling between Malaysia and mainland China. It is also reasonable that Mah Tai Goh boosts in English cuisine and then be brought back to China by Chinese immigration at that time.

Hong Kong’s National Cake
Mah Tai Goh is one of the most favourite cakes in Hong Kong that have conquered the hearts of dinners everywhere. Mah Tai Goh even been considered as Hong Kong's national cake by CNN. The high status of Mah Tai Goh in Hong Kong's dessert wold could compared to Lamington in Australia and Pavlova in New Zealand. Therefore, Mah Tai Goh should be one of the must-haves for visitors to Hong Kong. Additionally, The Lin Heung Teahouse, where serve one of the most authentic versions of Mah Tai Goh located in G/F 160-164 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, can be a good place for those who are interested in traditional Hong Kong's national cakes.

How to make a Mah tai goh
There are several approaches to make Mah Tai Goh with different tastes. Such as traditional approach and some special approaches (e.g., Brown sugar and Coconut milk flavoured Mah tai goh and Honey flavoured Mah tai goh ).

Traditional approach
Ingredients 500g levain (The recipe of levain will showed below)

500g granulated sugar

500g whole eggs (Egg, chicken, whole, raw)

38g custard powder (vanilla, dry mix)

38g milk powder (Milk, powder, cow, regular fat, unfortified)

38g all-purpose flour (Flour, wheat, white, plain)

23g aluminum-free baking powder (Baking soda, dry powder)

250ml vegetable oil (Pastry, puff, vegetable oil, commercial, raw)

30ml baking soda solution (Baking soda (bicarbonate), dry powder with 3 parts (22.5g) and mix with water with 1 part (7.5ml))

Method

1. Add custard powder, sugar, flour and milk powder into levain; Then mix by hand.

2. Whisk and divide eggs into four portions. Add each portion to levain, keep mixing until the sugar has completely dissolved and the batter looks slightly thick and smooth.

3. Use a wet towel and pan to cover the batter. Leaving them in a dry and cold place for 24 hours.

4. Adding baking soda solution into the batter and mixing.

5. Using another bowl to heat 30ml oil (20 °C-30 °C) and mix with baking powder until become smooth. Then add rest of the oil.

6. Integrate baking powder mixture with batter and mix well.

7. Line baking parchment within the steamer and coat oil on it. Pour 1/3 of batter into the steamer. Then using high heat to steam about 20 minutes.

8. Serve immediately.

 *How to make the Levain: 

Ingredients

600ml Water

400ml Beer (full strength (alcohol 4-4.9% v/v))

2 kg Plain flour(Flour, wheat, white, plain)

 Method 

1. Mix 150ml water, 100ml beer and 500g flour until the dough is no longer sticky.

2. Place the dough in a greased saucepan and cover with a damp towel and another pan. Let it rise for 24 hours in a cool, dry place.

3. Take half of the fermented dough; Add 150ml water, 100ml beer and 500g flour. Then repeat steps 1 and 2.

4. Compare the two batches: if the second batch of risen dough is softer than the previous batch, means the fermentation goes well. Then take half of the second dough and add 150ml water, 100ml beer and 500g flour——repeat steps 1 and 2.

5. Use the same method to compare the third batch of dough with the previous batch. If it is good, add half of the remaining ingredients——repeat steps 1 and 2.

6. Take 500g of dough that has been fermented four times and use it to make Mah Tai Goh.

Special approach
a). Brown sugar and Coconut milk flavored Mah tai goh

 Ingredients 

5 large eggs

1 orange peel

220g Plain flour

180g Dark brown sugar

25g Custard powder

100ml Coconut milk

90ml Vegetable oil

1 tsp Baking powder

½ tsp Baking soda

¼ tsp Salt

Golden syrup (optional)

Method

1. Grease an 18 cm round cake tin and line with baking paper. The exterior is pristine, so all need to do is press a large circle of baking paper into the tin and let it naturally fold and wrap around. Fill the bottom of the pot or steamer container with water until the top 2/3 full. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat.

2. Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and combine with brown sugar, and orange zest. Use an egg beater to whisk quickly until the eggs are thickened and pale. Meanwhile, mix the oil and milk in a medium-sized pot or bowl and set aside. Sift together flour, custard powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

3. When the eggs have absorbed as much air as possible, and the mixture has reached its maximum volume, remove the bowl from the blender and gently blend with hands, adding the oil and coconut milk. Sift the flour directly into the mixture in two batches and gently whisk until combined.

4. Scrape the mixture into the lined cake tin and place in the perforated steamer tray. Heat the water at the bottom of the steamer until it boils, then put it into the steamer pan with the cake tin. Put the lid on top and make sure it is tight. Steam the cake for about 40 minutes.

5. Let the cake sit in the jar for five minutes, then gently remove it and place it on a plate. Unwrap the paper collar until it is ready to serve, then drizzle with the appropriate amount of syrup to suit individual taste.

b). Honey flavored Mah tai goh

 Ingredients 

110g Soft brown sugar

100g Caster sugar

100g Plain flour

50g Cake flour

40g Custard powder

100ml Grape seed oil

4 Whole eggs

2 tbsp Evaporated milk

1 tbsp Honey

1 1/3 tsp Baking powder

1/3 tsp Baking soda

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together regular flour, ground flour and custard powder with a wooden spoon. Sift the flour mixture once and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, combine and mix well the brown sugar and white sugar. Then set aside.

2. Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs at high speed for 15 to 20 seconds. While whisking, gradually adds the sugar mixture, whisking in a stable, continuous manner. Continue to whisk until the egg mixture is light, thick, and three times the size, about 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Sift the flour mixture again. Divide the flour mixture into three parts. With one deft hand, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture one at a time. Cover the batter with a dry towel and let it sit for 1–2 hours.

4. At the Meantime, prepare the steamer. Line the grease-proof paper with the bottom and the sides of the 10-inch steamer. When the batter well rested, prepare enough water in a deep pot (steam for at least 30 minutes) and bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Prepare a small bowl, pour milk, honey, baking powder and baking soda into it. Fold in the batter until mix well. Finally, add the oil and gently fold in the batter until well combined.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared steamer, cover it with a bamboo lid, and place it firmly in the boiling pot for 30 minutes, or insert a bamboo stick into the middle of the cake. When the batter does not stick to the bamboo stick, slice it and serve immediately.

Health Value
Traditional Mah Tai Goh is not only delicious but also has several nutritional values.

The main ingredients of a whole of Mah Tai Goh are:


 * 500g levain [250g Plain flour(Flour, wheat, white, plain), 100ml Beer (full strength (alcohol 4-4.9% v/v)) and 150ml water]
 * 500g granulated sugar
 * 500g whole eggs (Egg, chicken, whole, raw)
 * 38g custard powder (vanilla, dry mix)
 * 38g milk powder (Milk, powder, cow, regular fat, unfortified)
 * 38g all-purpose flour (Flour, wheat, white, plain)
 * 23g aluminum-free baking powder (Baking soda, dry powder)
 * 250ml vegetable oil (Pastry, puff, vegetable oil, commercial, raw)
 * 30ml baking soda solution (Baking soda (bicarbonate), dry powder with 3 parts (22.5g) and mix with water with 1 part (7.5ml))

Based on the Australian Food Composition Database, here is a possible nutrition table of a whole of Mai Tai Goh (Usually divided into 16 pieces ).