Tangyuan originated in the Song Dynasty. At that time, Mingzhou (now Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province) began to eat a novel food, that is, black sesame seeds and lard were used as stuffing, a little white sugar was added, and glutinous rice flour was rubbed into a circle outside. After cooking, it tasted sweet and delicious, and it was very interesting. Because this glutinous rice dumpling is floating and heavy when cooked in a pot, it was originally called "Floating Yuanzi", and later it was renamed as dumpling in some areas.
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Eating glutinous rice balls is a traditional custom of China people, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a folk saying that "eating glutinous rice balls is one year older". Chen Zhisui's "Tangyuan" poem says: "Every winter solstice, everyone cooks, and at the age of one, do you know?" There is a saying in Ningbo: "Every family in Ningbo makes glutinous rice balls, and contentment is always another day." Hu Bingyan also wrote a poem: "Xiangze glutinous rice is used to make glutinous rice balls, and boiling water is rich and salty. The entrance is sweet and smooth, and the whole family is happy and drunk. " "Ningbo Tangyuan" is a necessary food and a round dessert made of glutinous rice flour. "Round" means "reunion" and "perfection". Eating Tangyuan during festivals symbolizes family harmony and auspiciousness, so it is also called "Floating Yuanzi".
On the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lantern Festival, "Ningbo Tangyuan", as a food, has a long history in China. This kind of food was first called "Floating Yuanzi" and later called "Tangyuan", also known as Yuanxiao; "Tangyuan" is filled with sesame seeds, bean paste, walnut kernels, nuts, jujube paste, etc., and wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round shape, which can be vegetarian and has different flavors. It can be boiled in soup, fried and steamed, which means a happy reunion.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia-Tangyuan