On February 24th, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, it is the 15th day of the first lunar month, also known as Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday. It's the time to eat Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, and it's also the time for the ongoing debate between the "Tangyuan party" and the "Yuanxiao party".
Lei Jun, the founder and CEO of Xiaomi Group, posted on Weibo wishing everyone a happy Lantern Festival and mentioned, "In my hometown Xiantao, Hubei, we eat Tangyuan during Lantern Festival, and we also eat 'rice dumplings'."
Lei Jun explained that rice dumplings are made by grinding rice into flour, cooking it, kneading it into a ball shape, stuffing it with ingredients like cured meat, vermicelli, and dried tofu, and then steaming it until it's ready to eat. It's quite delicious.
In the comments section, there is another person from the same hometown as Lei Jun who shared their photo of eating glutinous rice balls.
It is understood that "Yuanxiao" is the term used by people in the northern region, while "Tangyuan" is the term used by people in the southern region. Both are glutinous rice flour products, but they have many differences.
Yuanxiao is usually filled with sweet ingredients. During the production process, the filling is first made into small pieces, then dipped in water and rolled in a cylindrical basket containing sticky rice flour. Water is sprinkled and flour is added while rolling, allowing the mixture to naturally adhere to the sticky rice flour and form round balls.
Compared to Yuanxiao, Tangyuan has a more refined outer layer made of sticky rice flour and is directly handmade, similar to how people in the northern region make dumplings. The finished Tangyuan has a smooth surface and a sticky texture. The filling can be vegetarian or meat-based.
However, whether it's the rolled Yuanxiao or the handmade Tangyuan, both have a round shape, symbolizing reunion and harmony, and embody people's hopes for a bright future.
During the Lantern Festival, do you eat Tangyuan or Yuanxiao in your hometown?
