Tangyuan has several fillings.
1. red bean paste stuffing
Traditional red bean paste dumplings are very popular. The bean paste stuffing in glutinous rice balls must be delicate and moist, so when making stuffing, the red beans should be cooked very soft and rotten, and the bean shells inside should be removed, so that the filtered bean paste will be delicate. Add pork oil, sugar and osmanthus honey when making. This kind of stuffing is sweet and delicate, and the made jiaozi is particularly delicious, full of the fragrance of red bean paste and osmanthus.
2. Sesame stuffing
Sesame-stuffed dumplings are also very classic in the taste of traditional dumplings. Sesame used in sesame-filled glutinous rice balls is black sesame, which is then ground into sesame powder. Then add sugar and lard to soften the sesame powder together, so that it can be wrapped with glutinous rice flour. After the dumplings are cooked, the sesame stuffing will flow out like quicksand, which is very delicious.
3. Peanut stuffing
In contrast, peanut stuffing, as a classic taste of glutinous rice balls, is also deeply loved by the public. Peanut dumplings are not as sweet as bean paste and sesame seeds. On the contrary, the rich peanut flavor can greatly improve the taste of stuffing. Because peanuts are inherently oily, you don't need to put too much oil when making stuffing, and sugar is also suitable. You can grind it with a little graininess, which makes it taste better.
4. Lard stuffing
Lard stuffing is not found in many places in jiaozi, only in Jiangsu, but it has existed for a long time and is one of the traditional classic flavors. Lard stuffing, as the name implies, is made of lard. Of course, there is not only pig fat in the stuffing, but also flour, with a proper amount of salt, which is salty. When eating, it is not expected that there will be oil flowing out, but it has an oily and salty taste and a unique taste.
The Significance and Symbol of Tangyuan
The moral of glutinous rice balls symbolizes family reunion and happiness.
Tangyuan and reunion are homophonic. People will eat glutinous rice balls to express their thoughts for their distant relatives and express their good wishes for life. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lantern Festival, jiaozi is generally eaten in the south and Yuanxiao is eaten in most parts of the north. Although these two foods have different tastes, they are similar in appearance and have the same meaning, both of which represent the meaning of reunion.
The difference between glutinous rice balls and Yuanxiao.
1. Different fillers
There are many kinds of jiaozi, including sesame, fruity, bean paste and even meat stuffing. The stuffing of Yuanxiao is more practical, with sesame seeds and sugar as stuffing. Sometimes you can add a little chopped flowers or walnuts, but don't forget the sugar.
2. Different storage
Tangyuan can be frozen, so it can be preserved for a long time. Yuanxiao is easy to crack when frozen, so its storage time is relatively short. Because jiaozi can be preserved for a long time, there are frozen jiaozi all over the country, which can be eaten all year round. Some areas in the south will eat glutinous rice balls during the Spring Festival and the winter solstice. On the other hand, Yuanxiao is easy to crack after being stored for several days or frozen, and its shelf life is short. Usually, only the north can make it on the spot and sell it on the same day, which is more like a festive atmosphere.
3. Practice is different
The biggest difference between glutinous rice balls and Yuanxiao is here, and the practice is different. Tangyuan is wrapped and Yuanxiao is rolled.
Tangyuan is easy to store and cook, but Yuanxiao is difficult to store and cook. After the water is boiled, just put jiaozi in the pot and cook for a few minutes, but the best experience of Yuanxiao is to let the water float in the pot and turn to a small fire, then add cold water and cook until it floats, and repeat it three times.