The Cantonese style, which started in South China, typically consists of a thin, tender pastry skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling of lotus seed paste, sweet bean paste and nuts, while the Su style, originating in East China, is favored by many for its flaky layered crust. The Su style features both sweet and savory varieties, with the latter served hot and often filled with pork mince.

However, the Beijing style is more known for the classic zilaihong and zilaibai. These handmade cakes with a harder crust are usually prepared with rock sugar, sweet-scented osmanthus, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.