Ai wo wo, or steamed rice cakes with sweet stuffing, is made of glutinous rice or millet flour with sweet filling. It first appeared during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and was a favorite of the imperial families of the Ming Dynasty. The cake, which has a sticky texture and is white as snow, tastes sweet and comes with a variety of stuffings, such as ground rock sugar, hawthorn, sesame, green plum fruit or mashed Chinese jujube. Traditionally, it is eaten from the Lunar New Year to the end of summer, but it is now sold throughout the year.

Ai Wo Wo is a kind of Muslim food in Beijing, with a history back to the Ming Dynasty. It's made from sticky rice with a sweet filling. The fillings are made of red bean, taro or many other sweet ingredients. Ai Wo Wo's color is snow white and shaped like a small ball. It has a soft, sticky texture with a fragrant smell. Ai Wo Wo is on sale from the Spring Festival period to early autumn.