Tangyuan (food)

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Tangyuan
Pumpkin tangyuan (Tang Yuan ) with red bean baste and black sesame fillings.jpg
Tangyuan made from glutinous rice flour, filled with black sesame (黑芝麻) paste
Alternative names Yuanxiao
Place of originChina
Region or state East Asia
Main ingredientsGlutinous rice flour
VariationsRegional variants differing in ingredients and method
Other informationTraditionally consumed during Yuanxiao (Lantern Festival)
Tangyuan
Traditional Chinese 湯圓
Simplified Chinese 汤圆
Literal meaningsoup ball
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin tāngyuán
Wu
Romanization thaon yeu
[tʰãɦyø]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization tōngyún
Jyutping tong1 jyun2
Rainbow-like tangyuan, it can be filled with flavors such as fruit preserves Tongton.jpg
Rainbow-like tangyuan, it can be filled with flavors such as fruit preserves
Traditional tangyuan with sweet sesame filling Chinese Tangyuan.jpeg
Traditional tangyuan with sweet sesame filling

Tangyuan is a versatile dessert with a delicate taste and soft, chewy texture. While it can be served in its simplest form as a plain white ball of glutinous rice, it can also be stuffed with either black sesame or other fillings, for example, crushed peanuts, colored, fried, and boiled. [11] Tangyuan is made by wrapping the glutinous rice around the filling that is filled with lard oil and shaping it into a ball by hand. [11] Tangyuan can be sweet or savory, using more traditional fillings like black sesame. Sweet Tangyuan can be served in ginger-infused syrup, whereas savory Tangyuan are served in a clear soup broth. Unfilled Tangyuan are served as part of a sweet dessert soup known in Cantonese cuisine as tong sui (literally: "sugar water").

Common soup bases

While Tangyuan began as a traditional delicacy eaten during festivals, it has now evolved into a dessert that is consumed year-round. As it became more widespread, different renditions are introduced to the traditional Chinese Tangyuan to cater to consumers. New fillings, shapes, and coloring of the glutinous rice are introduced; chocolate and custard fillings are substituting traditional approaches. [12]

The filling of Tangyuan Yuanxiao and fillings (20210225185338).jpg
The filling of Tangyuan

Sweet fillings

Savory fillings

Adaptations and Modern Twists Fillings

Availability

The most renowned varieties come from Ningbo in Zhejiang Province. [13] However, they are traditionally eaten throughout China.[ citation needed ]

Tangyuan has also come to be associated with the Winter Solstice and Chinese New Year in various regions. [13] Today, the food is eaten all year round. Mass-produced tangyuan is commonly found in the frozen food section of Asian supermarkets in China and overseas.[ citation needed ]

Variations

As the Chinese dessert spread to other regions of Asia, a variety of renditions emerged from different cultures.

China

Jiandui , or sesame balls, are a variation of tangyuan. They are made with glutinous rice flour that is fried and coated with sesame seeds to achieve a crisp, chewy texture. The insides of the dessert are stuffed with lotus paste, black sesame, or red bean paste. [14]

Japan

Japanese daifuku-mochi are similar to tangyuan. They were initially introduced from Southeast Asia during the Heian period,. [15] This traditional Japanese dessert is mochi (glutinous rice) stuffed with sweet filling like anko, which is a sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. [16] While daifuku-mochi are similar to tangyuan, the preparation process is different. A process called wet milling is used to achieve a chewy texture that is less soft than their Chinese counterpart. [15]

South Korea

South Korea has Gyeongdan. It is Korean rice cake balls made from glutinous rice flour, similar in texture but usually filled with red bean paste or rolled in toppings like powdered soybean, sesame seeds, or mugwort.  They are especially popular during special occasions and Korean holidays

Indonesia

In Indonesia, an adapted version called wedang ronde (Javanese : ꦮꦺꦢꦁ ꦫꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦝꦺ, romanized: wédang rondhé, lit. 'round ball beverage') is a popular food eaten during cold temperatures. The round colored balls of glutinous rice can be filled with crushed peanuts and sugar, or left plain, and are served in a sweetened, mild ginger broth often boiled in fragrant pandan leaves. Crushed, toasted peanuts, tapioca pearls, and slices of coconut can also be added.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, buah Melaka (lit.' Malacca fruit') or "onde-onde" is a dessert mainly made of glutinous rice flour which is popular among Malay Malaysians. The green pandan-colored ball is sprinkled with dry coconut shavings and filled with semi-liquefied sweet gula Melaka (lit.'Malacca sugar'), a type of molasses made from palm nectar. [17] It is enjoyed throughout the tropical summer year and usually sold by Malay street hawkers and the Melaka straits-born Chinese community. It is usually enjoyed during teatime and breakfast. A common accompaniment is hot Darjeeling tea. Buah Melaka most likely originated from Straits-born Chinese Baba–Nyonya in Malacca, hence the name. [18]

Myanmar (Burma)

Mont lone yay paw, served with shredded coconut, is a popular festive dish served in Myanmar during Thingyan. MontLone yeibaw.JPG
Mont lone yay paw, served with shredded coconut, is a popular festive dish served in Myanmar during Thingyan.

In Myanmar, mont lone yay baw (မုန့်လုံးရေပေါ်) is a traditional festive dish, served during Thingyan, and filled with pieces of jaggery and served with coconut shavings.

Philippines

In the Philippines, traditional Chinese tangyuan is called chiōng-uân-îⁿ (Chinese :狀元圓; lit.' zhuangyuan ball') or siōng-guân-îⁿ (Chinese :上元圓; lit.' Lantern Festival ball') in Philippine Hokkien by Chinese Filipinos.

Thailand

In Thailand, bua loi (บัวลอย) is a sweet glutinous rice flour balls in the coconut milk or ginger syrup.

Vietnam

In southern Vietnam, a similar dish called chè trôi nước , is served in a mild, sweet liquid flavored with grated ginger root. In northern Vietnam, bánh trôi (also called bánh trôi nước) and bánh chay are analogous, with the latter being served with coconut milk. The Hmong people in northern Vietnam also have a similar dessert called thắng dền, made with glutinous rice for the balls, mung beans, coconut meat, or sesame for the filling, served in hot grated ginger root soup, sometimes with roasted peanuts. [19]

See also

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