TangyuanisthetraditionalfoodfortheLanternFestivalorYuanxiaoFestival.Thesmalldumplingballsareusuallymadeofglutinousriceflour.
Wecalltheseballsyuanxiaoortangyuan.Obviously,theygetthenamefromthefestivalitself.Madeofstickyriceflourfilledwithsweetstuffingandroundinshape,itsymbolizesfamilyunity,completenessandhappiness.
Thefillingsinsidethedumplingsoryuanxiaoareeithersweetorsalty.Sweetfillingsaremadeofsugar,Walnuts,sesame,osmanthusflowers,rosepetals,sweetenedtangerinepeel,beanpaste,orjujubepaste.Asingleingredientoranycombinationcanbeusedasthefilling.Thesaltyvarietyisfilledwithmincedmeat,vegetablesoramixture.
ThewaytomakeyuanxiaoalsovariedbetweennorthernandsouthernChina.Theusualmethodfollowedinsouthernprovincesistoshapethedoughofriceflourintoballs,makeahole,insertthefilling,thenclosetheholeandsmoothoutthedumplingbyrollingitbetweenyourhands.InNorthChina,sweetornon-meatstuffingistheusualingredient.Thefillingsarepressedintohardenedcores,dippedlightlyinwaterandrolledinaflatbasketcontainingdryglutinousriceflour.Alayeroftheflourstickstothefilling,whichisthenagaindippedinwaterandrolledasecondtimeinthericeflour.Andsoitgoes,likerollingasnowball,untilthedumplingisthedesiredsize.
粽子Zongzi
ZongziisthefestivefoodtraditionallyservedduringDra