Even though the Yuanxiao glutinous rice balls look similar, although the balls are made of glutinous rice and have similar shapes, with white, fat and round bodies, the preparation and taste are still different.

Yuanxiao is rolled out, and the filling is made first and then the skin is made. The glutinous rice balls are made of glutinous rice balls. The skin is made first and then the filling is made. Tangyuan has a lot more water than Yuanxiao.

For example, the famous Jinfang Yuanxiao, you must choose good glutinous rice and fine noodles to make Yuanxiao. The peach kernels should be selected one by one. After shaking the Lantern Festival, select out the small and broken ones.

Daoxiang Village, which has always been called the "King of Popularity", uses stones to grind powder to make Yuanxiao. Although stone grinding is time-consuming and labor-intensive, the glutinous rice flour produced is fine and even and tastes better. The fillings are made from walnut kernels from Fenyang, Shanxi, roses from Miaofeng Mountain in western Beijing, small black sesame seeds from Jiangxi, osmanthus from Suzhou and Hangzhou, etc.

Yuanxiao is "rolled", and the skin is dry and soft. The fillings are hard and generally sweet. Black sesame, bean paste, and hawthorn are all common flavors.

With the salty and delicious sauerkraut, the taste will be long and rich.

Rolling Yuanxiao

The production of Yuanxiao is much more complicated than glutinous rice balls. First, mix the stuffing and cut the solidified stuffing into small pieces. After passing through the water, throw it into a basket filled with glutinous rice noodles and roll it. Then soak it again and continue to put it back into the basket and roll it. Repeat several times until the filling is done. The ingredients are covered with glutinous rice flour and rolled into a ball, and you're done.

Making glutinous rice balls

The making of glutinous rice balls is a bit like making dumplings. First, add water to the glutinous rice flour and knead it into a ball. Just like when making dumplings, grab a small ball of wet dough with your hands and squeeze it into a disc shape. Pick a ball of stuffing and place it on the glutinous rice slices, then use your hands to turn and close the dough to make glutinous rice balls.

Yuanxiao

Due to different production techniques, Yuanxiao has a thicker texture than glutinous rice balls. After the Yuanxiao is cooked, the soup will be thicker, the skin will be soft, the filling will be firm and chewy, and the fruity and rice aroma will be rich.

Tangyuan

Tangyuan has a softer texture and is not restricted by the form of fillings. Its taste is much richer than that of Yuanxiao. In addition to the traditional black sesame, bean paste, and five kernels, there are also fruits, flowers, meat fillings, etc.