Yau gok

Yau gok (油角) or jau gok (油角) 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; 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.

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.

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.

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 ground peanuts, white sesame seeds, and desiccated (dried) coconut crumbs mixed with sugar. After the frying, this version is crunchy. This version is suitable for vegetarians.