简体中文
The fifteenth day of the Lunar Calendar, also known as the Lantern Festival, is the last day for all the Spring Festival celebrations, making it time to enjoy the indispensable festival delicacy: rice glue balls.
It is called "tangyuan" in the south, and "yuanxiao" in the north of China. The popular dessert originated from the Song dynasty around the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province. It's one of the favorite dishes at various Chinese festivals, as the round shape represents reunion.
Li Mingcheng, 63 years old, has been making rice glue balls for over 40 years. His snack bar brand "Laitangyuan" was established over 100 years ago. Li is the leader of the sixth generation of the family.
Li Mingcheng.
"Every kid was looking forward to the Spring Festival. I'd sneak into the kitchen to get bacon and pork ribs. Those were all happy memories." Long ago, rice glue balls were "luxury food". People only make them during the Spring Festival, when every household would queue to use the mill for grinding the rice. Neighbors would gather to help each other out. It was such a lively scene. Aside from the rare dishes like meat and poultry, the rice glue balls were also an important part of Li's childhood Spring Festival memories.
One kid is eager for the La Meat (cured meat in Sichuan Prov.).
The hand-making procedures are pretty complicated. And there are differences between "tangyuan" and "yuanxiao". The wet-milled rice flour makes the dough for "tangyuan" smoother and softer. According to Li, the rice glue balls should be "smooth as silk, and white as marble".
"The wrapper had better be made of rice from the Northeast China. It has the best texture," says Li. After being soaked in water for 24 hours, the rice is wet-milled to make dough. Colorful spinach or sweet potato juice is often used for decoration.
Black sesame.
For the filling, black sesame is a classic choice. It's usually the mixture of aromatic sesame, sugar and lard. Some people prefer it with the extra walnuts, peanuts and brown sugar.
Wrap up the glutinous dumpling.
When the balls are well wrapped, you put them in the boiling water. Turn down the fire when they float up and keep the water simmering for another couple of minutes. It melts with one bite, and the sweet taste flows right into your mouth.
A bowl of glutinous dumplings
Colored lanterns light up to celebrate the Lantern Festival
With a belly full of rice glue balls, families make the best of the remaining holiday and go to see lantern shows. In the iridescent lights, people wish for a whole year as happy as today: "We should eat well, play well, see beautiful things, and live a wonderful life." says Li. Those sweet times would always be associated with rice glue balls and happiness at the festival.
(CGTN)
