Rolling Donkey with chestnut flavor
Lüdagun is a traditional rice cake confection that originated in Beijing, China. It is characterized by a dough made primarily from steamed glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour, which is rolled with a sweet filling and finished by being coated in soybean flour. The name derives from its resemblance to a donkey rolling on the ground. In Beijing, Lüdagun commonly features fillings such as sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, and mung bean paste, with modern variations including chestnut paste depending on the season and local preferences. Widely found as an everyday dim sum at long-established shops and street stalls in Beijing's hutongs, it also has a history as an imperial dessert and is deeply connected to the daily lives of Beijing residents.
- Taste Rating
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It's generously coated with roasted soybean flour, and the chewy mochi has a satisfying bite. The filling inside is a stretchy paste with a subtle sweetness of chestnut. I’d definitely like to enjoy it with a non-sweetened drink.
- Price
- 31.9 Yuan Renminbi
- Meal Date
- 9/27/2025
- Food Travel Log
- "Rolling Donkey" (Lüdagun), a traditional Beijing confection whose name means "a donkey rolling on the ground." In short, it's a kinako (roasted soybean flour) rolled mochi. The bean paste inside has an elegant sweetness that makes you crave some bitter tea.
Incidentally, as many confections require skilled craftsmanship, it's likely that cities with imperial courts tend to have delicious sweets. This might also explain why Kyoto's confections are so tasty.
AI Gourmet Analysis
Origin and History
Lvdagun (Lüdagun) is a traditional confection originating from Beijing, China, and has been particularly loved among ordinary citizens since the Qing dynasty. Its name, meaning "Donkey Rolling Over," derives from its appearance, which is reminiscent of a donkey rolling on the ground and getting covered in mud—much like the dessert covered in a generous layer of roasted soybean flour (kinako). Even today, it is widely sold in the old streets of Beijing’s hutongs and serves as both a daily snack for ordinary people and a palace confection (“Jing Dianxin”) that emperors and nobility have enjoyed through history.
Preparation and Ingredients
Lvdagun is made by steaming a dough whose main ingredients are glutinous rice or sticky rice flour, creating a soft, stretchy mochi-like base. This base is then spread with a paste filling (bean paste or otherwise), dusted liberally with roasted soybean flour, rolled up, and sliced for serving. Traditional fillings have included sweet red bean, sesame, or mung bean pastes, but in recent years, chestnut and walnut variations have become popular as well.
The chestnut paste version is especially popular in autumn and during the chestnut harvest season, with the natural sweetness and richness of the chestnuts complementing the simplicity of the rice dough and the fragrant kinako. The dough does not contain fats and is low in fat overall, allowing the true flavors of the kinako and bean paste to stand out. While the process is relatively simple for home cooks, the integration of the dough and filling, as well as the rolling technique, require the experience and skill of a confectioner for authentic results.
Cultural and Social Background
Against the backdrop of a fusion between Beijing’s court culture and commoner culture, the creativity of palace pastry chefs spread to ordinary people and led to the birth of a wide variety of dim sum across China. Lvdagun, in particular, became popular for its chewy texture and fragrant taste, making it a favorite among all ages. Recipes and variations abound, with households and shops customizing the confection using cherry blossom paste for springtime, fruit fillings, or seasonal bean pastes.
At the long-established "Lao Beijing Lvdagun" shop in Beijing’s Wudaoying Hutong, traditional recipes and handmade techniques are preserved, while also offering contemporary variations like chestnut filling to suit modern tastes. It is recognized not only as a breakfast or snack for local residents but also as a “Beijing specialty” souvenir popular with tourists.
Recent Developments and Health Aspects
Alongside growing health consciousness in China, Lvdagun is being adapted with innovations such as sugar-free kinako, low-sugar fillings, and the use of organic ingredients. Efforts to preserve the traditional taste coexist with creative ingredient adaptations, and in recent years, new varieties blending dairy products or Japanese confectionery techniques have also emerged elsewhere. Since it is gluten-free and generally contains no animal fats, it has become popular among vegan dim sum shops overseas as well.
Comparison to Similar International Confections
Lvdagun bears similarities to Japan’s "kinako mochi" and Korea’s "injeolmi (인절미)." All use kinako (roasted soybean flour), but each country or region has its own unique methods for making the dough, types of filling, and portion size. In palace-culture circles such as Kyoto’s, it is said that a refined sense of beauty has historically influenced confectionery, which, according to some analyses, contributed to the development of Beijing’s Lvdagun. The diversity of mochi-based confections throughout East Asia reflects the strong influences of agricultural and court cultures.