Ningbo people have the traditional habit of eating lard dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Tangyuan has the meaning of reunion and wishful thinking. Even those overseas who "miss their loved ones even more during the festive season" cannot forget to eat lard glutinous rice dumplings from their hometown during the Spring Festival, looking forward to reunion and comforting their homesickness. Tangyuan, formerly known as Yuanxiao, originally refers to the Lantern Festival. In the old days, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Lantern Festival, also called Yuan Ye. Tangtuan is named after the Lantern Festival and originated in the Sui Dynasty. According to legend, on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in 610 AD, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty set up a stage in Luoyang to sing and dance "to have fun with the people". He used solid dumplings, sprinkled sugar in the soup, and gave them to his ministers and singers for dinner. Because this day happens to be the Lantern Festival night, it is named "Lantern Festival". This popular food was introduced to Ningbo. After long-term development and gradual improvement, it gradually formed the unique flavor of Ningbo glutinous rice balls stuffed with lard filling.

Legend has it that in March of Yangchun, the Eight-hole Immortal Lu Dongbin transformed into an old man selling glutinous rice balls and hawked them by the West Lake. Xu Xian ate Lu Dongbin's glutinous rice dumplings. Unintentionally, one of the glutinous rice dumplings rolled down the West Lake and was swallowed by the white snake. The white snake became an immortal and married Xu Xian. It is also said that after the "Opium War", Ningbo was opened as a "five-port trade" port. A large number of foreigners poured into Ningbo. They ate Ningbo lard glutinous rice dumplings. While relishing the taste, they became interested in the round, snow-white, soft, glutinous and sweet dumplings. , I had doubts, and I couldn’t figure out how the glutinous rice dumpling stuffing was embedded after turning it over and over.

Ningbo dumplings have a history of more than 700 years. Because it is made by grinding glutinous rice into pulp using a water mill, it is also called "glutinous glutinous rice dumplings". The preparation method is: use white glutinous rice, soak it in water for three days, grind it into a slurry, put it in a cloth bag and hang it up, drain it until it is not dry and sticky, and then use it to make a glutinous rice ball. The skin is thin and smooth, as white as mutton fat, and shiny. Bright, waxy but not sticky. For the dumpling filling, you must use high-quality pork suet, remove the tendons and skin; stir-fry and pound the black sesame seeds into powder, add marshmallow, and knead the three ingredients repeatedly until evenly formed, roll them into small balls like marbles, and embed them in the skin. This kind of filling is sweet and hot, oily but not greasy, and unique. After the gnocchi is made, add boiling soup and cook until it floats, then add a little cold water and bring to a boil, then scoop it up and eat it. In the old days, glutinous rice dumplings could only be eaten during the Spring Festival, and were rarely made among the people. There is a children's song in Ningbo that goes like this: "Bless your mouth with new year greetings, melon seed tea, lard glutinous rice dumplings will burn your mouth."

Ningbo’s “Cang Ya Dog” glutinous rice dumpling shop has the longest history. The real name of "Cat Duck Dog" is Jiang A'Gou. He originally opened a shop on Kaiming Street in Ningbo, so he named the shop with a person's name, and painted a vat, a duck, and a dog as marks on the signboard. This unique signboard aroused widespread interest and spread among people. At the same time, he was famous for his People from all walks of life like to eat the glutinous rice dumplings he makes because of his exquisite production, low price and good quality. The business is getting bigger and bigger, making him famous far and near, and the business is booming. In the old days, there was still a saying like this: "I was too hungry at 3:00 and 4:00. I had lard dumplings for duck and dog. I ate copper coins and it was not enough. I took off my clothes as a pledge of my head."

Ningbo people have a tradition of going out to do business. As more and more people from Ningbo go to various places to open shops and do business, food like Ningbo dumplings is also spread to various places, and Ningbo dumpling shops are opened. Now, many cities in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Anqing and other places have Ningbo dumpling shops. After Ningbo opened to the outside world, Ningbo dumplings were also quick-frozen and exported. Since then, Ningbo dumplings have become even more famous.