On the Cultural History of Tangyuan

Origin of Tangyuan Diet

According to legend, sweet dumplings originated in the pre-Qin period. At that time, Mingzhou (now the glutinous rice flour sesame market in , Ningbo, Zhejiang) was a novel food, that is, black sesame and pork suet were filled with a little white sugar, and glutinous rice flour and pork suet white sugar were kneaded into a circle. After cooking, it tastes sweet and soft, with endless aftertaste.

Tangyuan food culture

Eating dumplings is a traditional custom of the Han nationality, especially in Jiangnan. There is a folk saying that "eating glutinous rice balls is one year older".

Chen Zhisui's poem "Tangyuan" says: "Every winter solstice, everyone cooks, and you don't know anything at the age of one"; As the saying goes in Ningbo: "Every family in Ningbo makes glutinous rice balls, and contentment is always happy." ; Hu also wrote a poem: "Xiangze glutinous rice makes dumplings, and the boiling water is salty." The entrance is sweet and smooth, and the whole family is happy and drunk. "

"Ningbo Tangyuan" is an essential food and a round dessert made of glutinous rice flour. "Circle" means "reunion" and "perfection". Eating glutinous rice balls during festivals symbolizes family harmony and auspiciousness, so it is also called "floating Zi Yuan".

Tangyuan historical precursor

The origin of glutinous rice balls can actually be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. There is a record in Huainanzi: "Chu people cook soup, Wu people make soup." White rice and yellow rice were used as pulp, mixed evenly and cooked again, so it was named "Zi Yuan". This kind of food can be eaten for a long time. It is called "tangtuan". "

There was a custom of eating glutinous rice balls in Nanliang during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. In Story Collection Garden, it was recorded that Liang Wudi in Southern Qi had a sweet food in winter: "reunion stuffing", which laid the foundation for people in the north and south to miss each other and eat glutinous rice balls in the future. "Reunion" is a greeting to celebration and reunion in traditional festivals in China. The book "Yuanri" said: "In Yuanri, black bean powder is wrapped in lard and filled with oil, which is called stuffing; It is also made of brown sugar, called tangtuan.

Tangyuan nickname

The nicknames of glutinous rice balls mainly include Piao Zi Yuan, Yuanxiao, Shui Yuan, glutinous rice balls, Yuanbao and lactose Zi Yuan. Tangyuan has many nicknames, so they are also called Yuanxiao, because they are mainly eaten during the traditional Lantern Festival in China. At the same time, because of its round and full appearance, there are many nicknames with the word "Yuan", and because of regional differences and people's eating habits and customs, Tangyuan has also derived various other nicknames.

Tangyuan ancient poems

"Kyoto Yuanxi" (Yuan) Yuan Haowen

Clothes and cosmetics were thrown away everywhere, and the lights on Sixth Street made the children angry.

I am just a robe, and I am also in the laughter of tourists.

"Folding the laurel and having a Lantern Festival" (Yuan) lost its name.

I cherish the beautiful scene of the Lantern Festival, and the bright moonlight shines brightly on every corner of this night. The moon is full of ice wheels, lights burn land and sea, and people step on spring. Three beauties can be rewarded, and four are ruthless and hateful. What I am afraid of is the dim light, the quiet and desolate people, the corner of the South Building and the West Building under Na Yue.

Bianjing Yuanxi (Ming) Li Mengyang

Zhongshan ruzi leans on new makeup, and Zheng Nv Yanji is good at acting alone.

Sing Wang Xianchun Yuefu together, and the moon outside the golden beam bridge is like frost.