Tangyuan is generally made of glutinous rice flour.

Glutinous rice flour is actually a general term for two kinds of flour. Glutinous rice flour is divided into water-milled glutinous rice flour and cooked glutinous rice flour. The glutinous rice flour ground in water and dried is very fragrant and waxy, very smooth and tough in taste. It is generally used to make glutinous rice balls and yuanxiao. Cooked glutinous rice flour, that is, steamed glutinous rice flour, is also called cake flour. The difference in characteristics between this kind of glutinous rice flour and water-milled glutinous rice flour is that cooked glutinous rice flour becomes sticky when exposed to water, while water-milled glutinous rice flour is not sticky.

What people call glutinous rice flour is also a kind of glutinous rice flour. Tangyuan is one of the traditional snacks with a long history. It is said that glutinous rice balls originated in the Song Dynasty. At that time, a novel food became popular in various places, which was filled with various fruit baits and rolled into balls with glutinous rice flour. After being cooked, it tasted sweet, delicious and interesting. Because this kind of glutinous rice ball floats and sinks when cooked in a pot, it was first called "Floating Yuanzi". Later, in some areas, "Floating Yuanzi" was renamed Yuanxiao. Most southerners have the traditional custom of gathering together as a family to eat glutinous rice balls on the morning of the Spring Festival. It is said that the Lantern Festival symbolizes family reunion, and eating the Lantern Festival means family happiness and all the best in the new year.