Among the colorful traditional snacks in China, tangyuan undoubtedly occupies a special place. This is not only because of its sweet and soft taste, but also because of the profound cultural connotation it carries and people's beautiful expectations for a happy life.
Tangyuan, also known as "soup balls" or "floating yuanzi", is the shining pearl of the traditional snacks of the Han nationality. Whenever you mention tangyuan, people naturally think of the lively Lantern Festival. On this day, families gather around to share this delicious meal, which symbolizes reunion.
There is a popular saying about the origin of glutinous rice balls. Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, a novel food arose in the area of Mingzhou (now Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province). People use black sesame seeds and lard as fillings, add a little sugar, wrap a layer of glutinous rice flour on the outside, and knead them into a round shape. After cooking, the glutinous rice balls have a soft and smooth skin, and the filling is sweet and delicious, which makes people have an endless aftertaste.
Over time, tangyuan gradually became the signature delicacy of the Lantern Festival. On this day, every family in both the city and the countryside makes their own dumplings to celebrate this important traditional festival. Eating tangyuan is not only to satisfy the enjoyment of taste buds, but also a kind of emotional sustenance. It symbolizes the reunion and happiness of the family, and implies the happiness and well-being of the family in the new year.
In addition to the delicious taste and profound cultural connotation, the process of making tangyuan is also a unique art. From the selection of ingredients to the making of the filling, to the process of wrapping the glutinous rice flour and cooking, each step requires meticulous care and meticulous skill. This persistence and inheritance of traditional handicrafts has also made tangyuan a precious heritage in Chinese food culture.
Nowadays, tangyuan has gone abroad and has become one of the favorite delicacies of people around the world. Whether in restaurants in Asia or on supermarket shelves in Europe and the United States, you can see a variety of flavors and styles of glutinous rice balls. However, no matter how the form changes, the yearning and expectation for a happy life it carries remains the same.
Tangyuan is not only a delicacy, but also a cultural inheritance and emotional sustenance. It interprets the warmth and happiness of home with a sweet and soft taste, and conveys people's pursuit and yearning for a better life with the shape of reunion. In the years to come, let us continue to inherit and carry forward this food culture, so that the story of tangyuan will continue to be passed on. The auspicious dragon celebrates the Lantern Festival