User:Soulgladi/HakkaHeePan

= Draft for University Wikipedia Project = Hee Pan "喜粄" is a type of traditional rice cake, common among the Hakka people. Hee Pan originates from the Hakka people in China, however, due to the outbreaks of world wars and the nomadic characteristics of the Hakka people, this delicacy can now be seen all around the globe other than China. It is most prevalently seen in Taiwan, Hong Kong and south east asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia; where the Hakka people are most abundant at.

Rice cakes have been a  staple food among the Hakka people for a long time, this is because the most traditional form of the rice cakes are made out of "米浆" which is a very diluted liquid consisting of water and a little bit of cooked rice in it. The rice cakes were traditionally made with "米浆" because the Hakka people were nomads and were often short on food. Hence, instead of having diluted porridge, they often use it to make rice cakes. This is because it required less ingredients and it more filling. Hence, there is a variety of rice cakes in the traditional Hakka culture.

Hee pan is a type of traditional rice cake (茶粄 ) of the Hakka people. It is a steamed rice cake that is made with a mixture of glutinous rice flour and flour, without any additional flavorings. However, due to the vast migration of the Hakka people, there are a variety of variations of Hee pan rice cakes. These variations are usually adding flavoring to the original rice cake flavor. The most common ones include the pumpkin, taro, pandan flavored Hee pan.

Rice cakes also play a role in the Hakka culture, as there is a variety of rice cakes, there are different symbolisms for different rice cakes. The Hee Pan symbolizes good omen, fortune and prosperity in the Hakka culture. Hence, it is often homemade or bought  during the Lunar Chinese New Year, weddings or during a "full month" traditional party to celebrate the a milestone for a new born baby ,when he/she turns one in the Chinese Calendar after being 30 days old.

Etymology
The English word Hee Pan is the direct translation of "喜粄" in pinyin form. The word "喜粄" is derived from the old traditional Chinese language and also from the Hakka dialect that the Hakka people speak other than Mandarin.

The word "喜粄" is made up of an adjective and a noun in the Chinese language to show its characteristics and its symbolism among other selection of rice cakes in the traditional Hakka culture of rice cakes.

The word "喜", in "喜粄" is pronounced as "xǐ" it is a word for joyful or like in Mandarin. The word “粄 ", pronounced as "bǎn" is originally from the hakka dialect. It is used to describe delicacies made from a diluted liquid that consist predominantly of water and a little bit of cooked rice.

This can be seen in the structure of the the word "粄" of "喜粄". This is because the "principal indexing component" of the Chinese character of "粄" is "米" which is  the character on the left. The word "米" is pronounced as "mǐ" It is a noun in the Chinese language to described "raw rice grains". The radical component in the Chinese character “粄" is “反” which is also the radical component of "饭" that means cooked rice or a meal in the Chinese language. The deliberate derivation of the radical “反” in the word "粄"is to suggests that is is food made out of rice.

The combination of the two words means joyful "喜", rice cake "粄". The naming of the Hee Pan, "喜粄" suggests that it symbolizes joy, happiness and prosperity.

Ingredients and preparation
The original Hakka Hee Pan is traditionally made with glutinous rice flour (糯米粉), plain flour (普通面粉), castor sugar (细砂糖), yeast (即时酵母),  corn oil (玉米油),  warm water (温水) and typically with a few drops of optional red food coloring to give its typical look.

Hee Pan is first prepared by mixing the glutinous rice flour (糯米粉), plain flour (普通面粉) castor sugar (细砂糖), yeast (即时酵母),  corn oil (玉米油) with warm water in a mixing bowl. The mixing is continuous until a dough is formed. The dough is then transferred to a mixer to be mixed and kneaded, ideally in medium speed for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.

After the dough is kneaded, it is then divided into portions that can be shaped into small balls and be places on top of banana leaves. The portions of the dough placed on the banana leaves are then placed in a steamer tray to be risen for 45 minutes to an hour.

The rising process of the Hee Pan will double the dough in size, making it to fit the banana leaves properly as the banana leaf acts as a tray for the rice cake. The risen Hee Pan is then placed in the steamer to be steamed for 12-15 minutes.

The heat for the steamer should be turned off at 15 minutes and the Hee Pan will be left in the steamer to cool for an additional 5 minutes.

After the steaming and cooling process, Hee Pan is made.

Variations
There are a several variations of the Traditional rice cake "喜粄". The typical classic Hakka Hee Pan is a Hee Pan made out of only glutinous rice flour (糯米粉), plain flour (普通面粉) castor sugar (细砂糖),  yeast (即时酵母),  corn oil (玉米油),  warm water (温水) and typically with a few drops of optional red food coloring to give its typical look.

However, there are also other variations of the Hee Pan. These includes: pumpkin Hee Pan, Purple sweet potato Hee Pan, Pandan Hee Pan, Taro Hee Pan and Brown sugar Hee Pan.

The variations of Hee Pan is mainly due to

Social aspect of Hee Pan
Rice cakes has a social aspect in the Hakka Culture,