Tangyuan(湯圓) is boiled rice dumplings, plain or with filling, served in soup. It is a special food served on the night of the full moon for winter solstice(冬至) and lantern festival(元宵節).

Usually eaten with family, the round dumplings in round soup bowls represent family reunion(團圓).

In Taiwan, tangyuan is typically served in sweet azuki bean soup, sweet ginger broth, or plain water. Other variations are savory.

White and pink are the most common colors for tangyuan, but other colors like green are also made.

Tangyuan can be made with or without filling. Black sesame and peanut are common ingredients for traditional sweet fillings. Fillings can also be made with other ingredients like red bean paste.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup sticky rice flour(圓糯米粉)
• ¾-1 cup warm water(溫開水)

Method

• gradually mix warm water into sticky rice flour, kneading continually until combined into dough
• add color (optional)
• rest 30 minutes
• roll dough into a long log and divide into even 1-inch pieces
• roll each piece into a ball
• shape around filling (optional)
• add balls to hot soup or hot water
• simmer until cooked, 2-3 minutes
• serve