A taste of Spring Festival: reunion dinner fun facts (3)

Glutinous rice balls

Glutinous rice balls, or Tangyuan (汤圆), is a sweet dish served during the Spring Festival in southern China. Unlike dumplings, the dough of Tangyuan is made using glutinous rice powder and has a sweet filling made of ingredients such as red bean paste, fruit and brown sugar.

The rice balls are usually cooked and served in boiling water with fermented glutinous rice and sweet ginger syrup, though in some regions, they can also be deep-fried to add a stronger flavor. Glutinous rice balls are usually shared among all family members. Their round shape signifies family togetherness, while tangyuan is a homophone for union (团圆-tuanyuan).

Popular in both northern and southern China, glutinous rice balls may take different forms or names in different regions. In the north of China, this dish is usually called yuan xiao (元宵) and is served during the lantern festival, the 15th day of Chinese New Year, while in south China, the rice balls are typically served in a savory soup made with Chinese radish and homemade fish cake on New Year's Eve.

Flavor: sweet

Cooking method: boil or fry

Cultural Connotation: the round shape represents completeness and reunion