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In Chinese culture, the distinct regions have had vastly different food traditions throughout history. People often debate around the best cuisines and dishes, and the arguments intensify during cultural holidays. During the upcoming Chinese New Year, “Northerners” typically make Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) with their family, while many “Southerners” would prefer Tangyuan, which are glutinous rice balls with diverse fillings. Playful “food wars” between the different regions occur across media platforms, but behind the jokes is a shared desire to reunite with families and have a “New Year’s Eve Dinner.” The round shape of Tangyuan and the familial responsibility to make Jiaozi represents the values of unity in Chinese culture.
This year, The Barque introduces a beloved Tangyuan recipe filled with traditional sesame seed paste. Whether you have or have not held the tradition of eating Tangyuan during Chinese New Year, this recipe is not one to skip.
Ingredients:
Glutinous wrapper: 200 grams of glutinous rice flour, ¾ cup of water.
Filling: ½ cup of black sesame, ¼ cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of water.
Instructions:
Using a blender, ground the black sesame into a fine paste. Add in sugar, melted butter, and water, then keep blending until everything is thoroughly mixed. The mixture should be somewhat runny. Pour everything into a Ziplock bag, gently flatten it out, then put it into the fridge to harden for two hours.
While the filling is in the fridge, combine glutinous rice flour and water in a large bowl. Knead it into a dough and adjust the amount of water as needed. The dough likely feels looser than a typical bread dough, and it’s completely normal. Take out a small piece of dough, flatten it out using your palms, and cook it in boiling water for three minutes. Take out the cooked dough and put it back into the raw dough. After two to three minutes of kneading, the dough should be soft and stretchy.
Divide the dough into 15-gram pieces and roll into round balls. Take out the sesame filling, divide them into 10-gram pieces and roll them into round balls as well. Take one piece of the dough, gently press it flat between your palms, place a filling ball on top of the dough, then turn everything upside down and wrap the filling within the dough. Roll between palms to get a round shape. Repeat the process for all the pieces.
You may freeze these Tangyuan for two to three months, but you probably can’t resist the urge to taste some immediately. Cook these delicious goodies in boiling water for four to five minutes, or until it all floats in the water. Frozen Tangyuans could take an extra minute or two to cook through, so be sure to check if it expands in size and floats.
Happy cooking!
