Yau gok

Yau gok (油角) or Jau gok (炸角) is a traditional pastry found in Cantonese cuisine, originating from Guangdong Province in China. The term gok (角) reflects the crescent shape of the pastries;^[1] they differ from the connotation of steamed or pan-fried Chinese dumplings, normally associated with the phonetically similar term Jiaozi (餃仔). They are most commonly prepared during Chinese New Year, and consumed in Cantonese-speaking regions and communities, including Hong Kong and Malaysia.^[2]

Names

There are quite a number of unofficial English names associated with this dish:

• Peanut Puff
• Crispy triangles
• Fried oil dumplings
• New year dumplings
• Chinese new year dumplings

Preparation

The pastry wrap is first made of glutinous rice dough. A crescent shape is formed to hold the fried ingredients used as filling. A batch of the pastries are either baked or deep fried in a wok.^[3]

Salty version

The savory version is generally called haam gok zai (simplified Chinese: 咸角仔; traditional Chinese: 鹹角仔; pinyin: xián jiǎo zǐ; Jyutping: haam⁴ gok³ zai²). There is a range of popular fillings that vary depending on regional culture. Common ingredients include pork, Chinese sausages, and Chinese black mushroom.^[4]

Sweet version

The sweet version is generally called tim gok zai (Chinese: 甜角仔; pinyin: tián jiǎo zǐ; Jyutping: tim⁴ gok³ zai²). The standard filling comprises grounded peanuts, white sesame seeds, and desiccated (dried) coconut crumbs mixed with sugar.^[5] After the frying, this version is crunchy. This version is suitable for vegetarians.

See also

• Jiaozi
• Jian dui
• List of deep fried foods

References