Tangyuan — Lantern Festival Style

Tangyuan and yuánxiāo are both glutinous rice balls eaten at the Lantern Festival (Yuánxiāo Jié), the 15th day of the first lunar month, but they are made differently. Tangyuan (southern Chinese style) are formed by wrapping glutinous rice dough around a filling — typically black sesame paste, peanut butter or red bean paste sweetened with lard and sugar — then boiled in plain water and served in a sweet ginger syrup. Yuánxiāo (northern Chinese style) are formed by rolling a solid filling in dry glutinous rice flour in successive layers, producing a rougher surface. Both are eaten in sweet broth. Savoury versions filled with pork, mushroom and water chestnut appear in Shanghai and Sichuan. The round shape symbolises family reunion and completeness. They are sold fresh at markets and supermarkets in the period surrounding the festival.