Perhaps I should name this as Mock Fermented Glutinous Rice Wine with Rice Balls, a boozy dessert also known as 酒釀丸子 or 酒釀圓子 in Chinese. This is mock because I was using Japanese sake than the Chinese fermented wine.
I love glutinous rice wine but unlucky it was out of my stock. The replacement, sake, however has got me excited to tell you that it is also good for making an exquisite dessert. At the same time though, I must admit that this is not perfect. With the Japanese wine, you would not be able to enjoy the fluffy and sugary rice from the Chinese wine, but then this different recipe is lighter and maybe a more convenient alternative, in terms of availability.
Here, sake is available in most supermarkets; yet for the Chinese fermented glutinous rice wine, I doubt if I should risk my time shopping around except in established ones or in Shanghainess grocery stores. Happy thing is, Chinese fermented glutinous rice wine could easily be homemade, and hopefully I will be ready to take shots of it next time and share the recipe with you soon.
source: flickr.com/photos/fotoosvanrobin
Tang Yuan 湯圓 and Yuan Xiao 元宵
We are still in the first month of Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar called this lunar month Yuan (元) and in the older days people called night Xiao (宵). On the fifteenth night when the first full moon appears, the most auspicious tradition is to celebrate it with decorative lanterns. Thus the name Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Festival (元宵節).
Eating tang yuan has been a custom during the Festival because its round shape is a symbol of wholeness and completeness. That is why tang yuan 湯圓 is also known as yuan xiao 元宵. In this year of Rabbit, we shall be seeing the first full moon on February 17; remember to enjoy tang yuan whether for family reunion or simply for pleasure.
* I shall be packing up soon for a break in Malaysia, where hubby and I are going to explore their hawker foods again and also to spend the Yuan Xiao Festival there. I would read your comments from time to time, but do excuse me if I will be late in responding.
- Ingredients for rice balls
- 80g glutinous rice flour/sticky rice flour
- 65g warm water
- yields about 40 small rice balls
- Ingredients for boozy, sweet soup
- 1/2 tsp dried osmanthus
- 40g rock sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 tbsp sake
- 8 stoned dried red dates , optional
- yields about 4 rice bowls of soup with rice balls
Why red dates
You may often see Chinese wearing in red and having decorations at home also in red. Red means luck to us; even with cooking, we have a habit to include some red ingredients, like red dates, in New Year dishes.
Method
Add about 95% of warm water to the flour in a mixing bowl. Blend them together to form dough. If some of the flour is too dry to form into a mass, work with more water by half teaspoon. As the dough becomes soft, pliable and somewhat not sticky, turn it onto a clean and lightly floured board.
Roll the dough to form a cylinder of about 3/4 to 1 cm diameter. Cut it into equal lengths as its diameter. Roll into balls.
In a pan, add in rock sugar, red dates, dried osmanthus and 3 cups of water. Bring it to the boil. Stir until sugar dissolved over medium to high heat.
Use a large spoon, swirl the boiling soup in one direction. While the soup runs in a circular motion, gently drop in the glutinous rice ball one by one. As the soup is moving, the ball won’t stick to the bottom.
Stir occasionally. Cook till the rice balls float to top, about 3 minutes, which means they are done. Blend in sake; and stir in the beaten egg and swirl it like this to form a feather-like pattern, which we call it egg flowers. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Note for dried osmanthus
If you don’t want to chew the boiled osmathus (like tea dust) in your mouth, boil it water first and strain it away, then add sugar and red dates. Before boiling the dried osmanthus, remove any dirts or debris among them if you see any.
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FAQs
In northern China, "yuanxiao" is made by rolling small pieces of hardened filling in dry glutinous rice flour, adding water slowly, until it becomes a ball with a diameter of roughly 2 centimeters, whereas the southern "tangyuan", is made by wrapping soft filling in a glutinous rice "dough" similar to making a dumpling ...
Is Tang Yuan unhealthy? ›
High sugar
Most of the Tang Yuan fillings are sweet. For example, red bean paste and lotus seed paste are high in sugar. Tang Yuan has a moderate glycaemic index of 61 and it raises blood sugar levels relatively fast.
What is the difference between mochi and tang yuan? ›
Sweet rice balls, or Tang Yuan (汤圆), are quite similar to mochi. The dough is made with sticky rice flour to create a soft and gooey texture. It is often filled with a sweet filling, such as peanut, sweet bea, or sesame. Different from mochi, sweet rice balls are boiled and then served in soup.
What does the tangyuan symbolize? ›
Tangyuan – Sweet Rice Balls
It is a ball shape food made by glutinous rice flour. The shape and the pronunciation of tangyuan symbolize being together with your beloved one and family reunion. The lucky saying of eating tangyuan is团团圆圆 (Tuántuán yuányuán/ 'group-group round-round'): Happy (family) reunion!
Is Tang Yuan healthy? ›
Many tangyuan are high in sugar, salt or fat, so eating too many at one time could have an adverse impact on people with metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease or other chronic diseases.
What is Tang Yuan called in English? ›
Tang Yuan/汤圆, also known as Yuan Xiao/元宵 or Chinese glutinous rice balls, is a round, stuffed Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice flour and a sweet, semi-runny filling. It's always served warm in a plain or sweetened liquid.
Why is Chinese takeout unhealthy? ›
Chinese food takeout is delicious, but as with other cuisines offering takeout, some of the choices offered can be high in salt, sugar, oil, and processed additives. American-Chinese food, in particular, tends to be much sweeter and saltier than traditional Chinese cuisine and often features its own distinct flavors.
Is Tang Yuan a mochi? ›
These mochi-like rice balls, filled with peanut butter, toasted coconut and sesame seeds, are common for Lunar New Year. One of my favorite traditional Chinese dishes for Lunar New Year is tang yuan, the mochi-like glutinous rice balls often filled with black sesame paste.
Is Chinese takeout bad for you? ›
There are many healthy protein-packed Chinese food orders which are as nutritious as they are delicious. But there's also plenty of less than healthy Chinese food — high calorie, fatty, sodium-packed disasters that may taste good, but that are terrible for your health— especially if you're ordering them often.
Can I eat cold tang yuan? ›
In a nutshell, tang yuan are chewy white balls made from glutinous rice flour and water, sometimes with sugar. It is chewier when eaten cold and softer when eaten hot.
Tong sui (Chinese: 糖水; lit. 'sugar water'), also known as tim tong, is a collective term for any sweet soup or custard served as a dessert typically at the end of a meal in Chinese cuisine.
Is Mochi Rice the same as glutinous rice? ›
Both shiratamako and mochiko are made from mochigome, a type of glutinous short-grain rice. The difference between shiratamako and mochiko comes from texture and processing methods.
Why is everyone eating tangyuan today? ›
The festival falls each year on a day in February in the Gregorian calendar. People eat tangyuan for good luck and hopes of filling their life with sweetness and joy. The traditional filling for tangyuan is made from sesame, peanuts, sugar, and animal fat.
What does Tang Yuan taste like? ›
The rice ball is soft and chewy with a mochi-like texture and the filling ranges from red bean paste to peanut butter. However, the most common tang yuan filling is black sesame paste. Its nutty and fragrant flavor works so well with the chewy skin.
Do we eat tang Yuan on Yuan xiao? ›
Eating yuánxiāo (元宵), also known as tāngyuán (汤圆), is an important Lantern Festival custom. They are round glutinous rice dumplings with sweet black sesame or peanut pastes as filling. Other possible fillings include chocolate, red bean, fruits, lotus paste, and even custard. There are also savory versions.
What is the meaning of yuanxiao? ›
In English the name of this holiday could be literally translated as First Night, since “yuan” (元) means first or beginning, while “xiao” (宵) means night. But Yuanxiao is more commonly known as the Lantern Festival, and sometimes as the Chinese Valentine's Day.
Why eat tang Yuan on Yuan xiao? ›
Like the balls in lion dances and dragon dances, tangyuan is also a symbol of the moon, and eating tangyuan symbolizes worshiping and appreciating the moon. A poet named Zhou Bida once compared yuanxiao to the moon in his poem “Yuanxiao Fuyuanzi”.
