Definitions
a traditional pastry of Taiwan and Fujian which is fried, then coated with maltose and rolled in sesame seeds or chopped peanuts etc; Taiwan pr. [lǎo]
Etymology
About
The Chinese character 粩 is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 米 (rice) on the left, indicating its relation to grain-based foods, and the phonetic component 老 on the right, which provides its pronunciation. It primarily refers to a traditional deep-fried pastry snack from Minnan and Taiwanese cuisine, made by steaming a glutinous rice and taro dough, slicing it, frying until puffed, and coating with peanuts or sesame. Additionally, it carries a secondary meaning denoting the sustained offering of vegetarian meals in certain religious or communal settings.