According to traditional folk customs, people in the north eat Yuanxiao on this day, while people in the south eat glutinous rice balls, so there is a saying that "Yuanxiao in the north and glutinous rice balls in the south". Many people think that Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are the same thing, only the difference in name, but in fact they are completely different, no matter how they are made or how they taste.
The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan
1. Different practices.
"Rolling Yuanxiao, making dumplings", the production process of Yuanxiao in the north is relatively complicated. First, cut the solid stuffing into small pieces, put it in a big box filled with glutinous rice flour and shake it back and forth until the stuffing is wrapped with a thick layer of glutinous rice flour and rolled into a ball. In the process of rolling Yuanxiao, it is necessary to sprinkle some water at the right time, and the stuffing also needs to be dipped in some water to better roll glutinous rice flour.
The practice of glutinous rice balls is a bit like wrapping jiaozi. First, make glutinous rice flour into balls with water, pull a small ball and knead it into pieces, wrap the stuffing in it and rub it into a round ball.
2. Different fillings
The stuffing of glutinous rice balls contains more water than the stuffing of Yuanxiao, which is soft and can be scattered like dumpling stuffing or solidified. Many ingredients can be made into dumplings, such as black sesame seeds, bean paste, peanuts, five kernels, fruits, meat, flowers, etc., and even exotic dumplings with leek stuffing and fresh meat with dried plum vegetables. Tangyuan stuffing can be a single ingredient or a mixture of multiple ingredients, as long as you can accept its taste.
In contrast, the stuffing of Yuanxiao is relatively simple, mainly including black sesame stuffing, jujube paste stuffing and assorted stuffing. However, with people's pursuit of taste, in order to meet the market demand, the stuffing of Yuanxiao is becoming more and more diversified.
3. Different taste
Tangyuan is salty and sweet, and it is round and refined, with delicate and strong taste. Yuanxiao is mostly sweet, slightly rough in appearance and soft and waxy to eat.
Step 4 eat differently
The eating method of glutinous rice balls is relatively simple. Generally, it is boiled in water until it floats. After cooking, the soup is clear. Yuanxiao is mostly fried and can be cooked, but it takes a long time to cook, which takes 10 minutes. Because the glutinous rice flour of Yuanxiao is rolled up, the soup is muddy after it is cooked.
5. Different storage methods
Tangyuan is easy to store and has a long shelf life after freezing. You can buy frozen tangyuan in the supermarket all year round. Yuanxiao is usually made on the spot, sold on the same day, and will crack after a few days or freezing.