Turtle-shaped rice cake culture is one of the characteristic folk cultures in Minnan, and it is also an important component of Minnan traditional culture. The work aims to explore the culture genes contained in Minnan turtle-shaped rice cake, and extract the design factors and symbols that conform to modern aesthetics to guide the product design. The method of gene pedigree map was used to study the culture gene of turtle-shaped rice cake. Firstly, the culture origin of the turtle-shaped rice cake was explored and the dominant culture genes and invisible culture genes contained in turtle-shaped rice cake were extracted and summarized systematically. Then, the gene pedigree map was constructed and a product design model based on the gene pedigree map of turtle-shaped rice cake was build, so as to realize the application of turtle-shaped rice cake culture resources in modern product design. The method based on gene pedigree map can comprehensively and systematically explore and sort out the turtle-shaped rice cake culture genes, so that they can be presented clearly and intuitively. With the reference of gene pedigree map and the theory of modern design methods, the design transformation and application of cultural resources can be well realized, and the ideas and methods of this study can provide reference for the inheritance and regeneration design of intangible culture.