What is Tangyuan? Inside China's Festive Treat

Many countries across the world use foods to symbolise times of the year, and China is no different. Mooncakes are perhaps the most famous authentic Chinese dessert devoted to a specific occasion, but tangyuan is not far behind in its importance.

Learn more about this traditional Chinese dessert, whose lineage can be traced all the way back to Chinese mythology, yet remains just as popular today.

What is Tangyuan?

Tangyuan (also spelt tang yuan; pronounced ‘tang-yoo-en’) is a simple Chinese dessert consisting of boiled glutinous rice balls, often with a filling, served in a syrup or broth.

There are countless flavours of tangyuan available, including regional varieties. While sometimes available as a savoury dish, it is usually sweet, with traditional fillings including:

• Black sesame paste
• Peanut paste
• Jujube paste
• Red bean paste
• Lotus seed paste

The tangyuan syrup is usually boiled water, sweetened with sugar or ginger, or both. Savoury tangyuan are sometimes served in a clear soup.

The Traditional History of Tangyuan in China

Tangyuan emerged as a snack over 1,000 years ago. Originally, it was known as yuanxiao, in honour of the Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie) with which it was quickly associated. The name yuanxiao is still used today in Northern China.

There is also a myth that ties tangyuan to the Lantern Festival. It goes that a servant girl, desperate to see her family, helps her city survive a visit from the fire god by making tangyuan (its favourite food), while townspeople hang lanterns to make the city appear alight already. The servant girl’s parents went to the city to see the display, creating a beautiful reunion.

In China, the word tangyuan is a homophone for tuán yuan, meaning ‘reunion’. Tied to the legend of the Lantern Festival, you can see why this humble desert has such powerful connotations and continues to accompany traditional celebrations across China.

Does Tangyuan Taste the Same as Mochi?

Variations of glutinous rice balls are enjoyed across much of East Asia. Tangyuan is very similar to the Japanese sweet mochi, arguably the most well-known version, which also has a sweet filling.

However, there are some slight differences in taste and texture between tangyuan and mochi, mainly from how they’re produced:

• Tangyuan is usually served hot in a syrup or broth; mochi is usually eaten cold and dry.
• Tangyuan tends to be softer, partly because it’s boiled; mochi can be boiled or cooked, but the increased kneading tends to make a chewier rice ball.

How to Make Tangyuan

Traditionally, making tangyuan would be a family effort and could take a fair while, especially when grinding and frying sesame seeds for the filling. However, if you have ready-prepared ingredients, it can be done in as little as 30 minutes!

You’ll need:

• Rice flour
• Filling (such as sesame seed paste)
• Sugar
• Ginger (optional, for the soup)

1. Make the syrup by bringing a pan of boiling water to the boil, then adding sugar and ginger to taste. Let the syrup simmer.
2. Add some sugar to the rice flour, then add water until you get a smooth, soft dough. You should be able to flatten a ball-sized chunk on your work surface without it cracking.
3. Split the dough into equally-sized balls (usually between a marble and a ping pong ball). Flatten each bit, then put a ball of filling on top and wrap the dough around. Roll the ball between your hands to make a smooth finish.
4. Gently lower the balls into boiling water, stirring frequently to avoid them sticking. Once the balls start floating, take them out.
5. Put the balls into serving bowls and pour syrup over the top.

Have fun experimenting with different flavourings, such as chocolate or ground meats, to make your tangyuan unique. You can also use food colourings in the rice flour – white tangyuan traditionally represent the moon, but some also believe you should eat a red tangyuan and a white tangyuan together for prosperity.

Whatever you need to make your own tangyuan, you will find it here at our Chinese supermarket online.