During the year, the Kitchen God records the deeds – both positive and negative – of the family. At the time of the New Year, he goes up to heaven and gives this report to the Jade Emperor (one of the Three Purities).
Sometimes a paper effigy of the Kitchen God is burned – representing his departure to the heavenly realms. The offering that is frequently made to the Kitchen God is a sticky sweet lotus-root cake. This offering serves a dual purpose: because it is delicious, it will be pleasing to the Kitchen God; and because of its stickiness, it might prevent the Kitchen God from being able to open his mouth to tell the Jade Emperor of some of the not-so-wholesome things that transpired within the family in the previous year.