[Video/ntfabu.com]

Demand for niangao, or Chinese New Year cake, has been surging in Haimen district, Nantong as people rush to prepare for the most important festival of the year.

"Our daily output has increased 10 times than usual," said He Guojun, a pastry chef with more than 20 years of experience making the cake at a local food factory.

According to He, a dozen pastry chefs at the factory have to work from 6 am to 9 pm or even 11 pm every day until the eve of Chinese New Year to ensure sufficient supply.

In Chinese, niangao is a homonym of the phrase "higher every year," signifying the wish for steadily increasing prosperity. The snack is widely consumed either as a gift for friends or a must-eat dish during Chinese New Year.

The Haimen-style niangao is mainly made of rice powder, white sugar, red dates, osmanthus, and preserved fruits, which are mixed in certain proportion and steamed in wooden casks.