Tangyuan
Tangyuan is a traditional Chinese dish made from glutinous rice and is cooked in boiling water. Tangyuan can be either filled or unfilled, either small or large. The name "tangyuan" is used more often in the south while the older name "yuanxiao" is more common in the north. The fillings in different regions also differ: in the south, sweet fillings such as sweet black sesame, rose, and red beans are used often; while in the north, salty fillings are preferred, such as minced meat and vegetables. My family comes from Southwest region so we use the name Tangyuan and I always prefer sweet filling, especially sweet black sesame.
Traditional tangyuan can be handmade and all the materials are easy to get form any markets, including glutinous rice flour and black sesame powder. Simply mixing the sesame power with sugar and melted lard makes the filling. Tangyuan is usually served with syrup soup or fermented glutinous rice. In some specific regions or seasons, it can also be served with osmanthus flowers. The softness of the glutinous rice outside, the thick sweetness of the black sesame, and the freshness of the osmanthus flower, all of these makes tangyuan a unforgettable dessert in my family.
