Folks in the southern region of Jinyun county get together to make traditional steamed bread, to welcome in the Lunar New Year. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

In the southern region of Jinyun county – located in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – there is a traditional custom that every family makes Nanxiang steamed bread a few days before the Lunar New Year, which this year falls on Feb 1.

Locals say the history of making Nanxiang steamed bread at Spring Festival can be traced back 1,000 years or so and they are still using the ancient ways to make it today.

To start with, you need to produce the fermentation water with rice, saccharomycetes and distiller's yeast. Then, mix flour with the fermentation water in a certain proportion. After the mixture is fully fermented, knead it to form the dough.

Nanxiang steamed bread has a sweet and glutinous taste, which is quite different from steamed bread in other places. 

In 2008 the product was included on the list of Jinyun county's intangible cultural heritage.

With the rise of e-commerce and livestreaming platforms, Nanxiang steamed bread is now being sold across the country, increasing the incomes of locals.