In Chinese culture, Tong yuan is traditionally eaten at Lantern Festival 元宵節 (which is the first full moon after Chinese New Year) - but it is also eaten on Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi) to welcome Winter.
This delicious sweet snack is eatern all the for 'good luck' - as the glutinous rice flour once cooked gets really sticky, and roundness means full, complete, unity - therefore this sweet is perfect symbolism to celebrate family togetherness - hoping family stick together.
Tang Yuan is also a traditional sweet snack to be eaten night before get married for bride and groom - also for good luck and wishing the newlyweds will stick together in their new journey and form a completeness and unity in life.
Today, Tang Yuan can be eaten all year round and can also be bought in the frozen food section in Chinese/Oriental Supermarkets. But it is a very easy to make by yourself or get a few people to help out and experience what it was like back in the olden days - without frozen, pre-made goods.
Time: 30mins
Ingredients:
1 cup glutinous rice flour
4 ounces water
Brown sugar to taste
Food coloring (optional)
Fresh ginger (optional)
Method:
1) Pour the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and slowly add water until the mixture becomes the texture of dough. You may not need the entire 4 ounces of water to reach the proper consistency.
2)Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
3)You can divide the dough in half and add food coloring to one half.
4)Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll it into small balls.
5)Drop the balls into boiling water and cook them until they float - about 5 to 10 minutes.
6)While the balls are cooking, prepare a sweet soup by boiling water and adding brown sugar. Fresh ginger can also be added to the soup.
7)Put the cooked balls into the soup and serve.
Tip:
Tong Yuan can also be stuffed with a paste made from peanut butter, black sesame seeds or red beans.
Happy Lantern Festival!
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