Er Kuai is made of high quality rice that is cooked, then pressed into a special form. When cooled, the resulting "cake" of cooked rice retains the shape of the form into which it has been pressed. But this is only the first step in preparing "rice cake". Thereafter the rice "cake" is either boiled, roasted, or quick-fried in oil. Er Kuai is a very popular native Yunnan dish, where it forms an indispensable part of every feast during the Lunar New Year celebrations. A favorite Er Kuai preparation method is to gently roast the cake over a charcoal fire. Roasted Er Kuai is served with marmalade, jam, or fruit compot. Served in this manner, roasted Er Kuai is as common to the Yunnan breakfast table as is the croissant served with marmalade to the continental European breakfast table