KitchenWinter Solstice

Black sesame tangyuan

Name: Black sesame tangyuan
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: ½ cup (70 g) black sesame seeds, for the filling; ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, for the filling; 3 tbsp (40 g) lard or unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup (150 g) glutinous rice flour, not regular rice flour; ½ cup (120 ml) warm water, plus a little more as needed; 4 slices fresh ginger, for the syrup (optional); 3 tbsp (40 g) brown sugar or rock sugar, for the syrup (optional); 3 cups (720 ml) water, for the syrup (optional)

Chewy glutinous rice balls with a molten black sesame center, served in warm ginger syrup. For the Winter Solstice in the south and the Lantern Festival almost everywhere.

黑芝麻汤圆hēi zhī ma tāng yuán

Time1 hr 15 min

Hands-on1 hr

LevelEasy

Serves4

汤圆tāng yuán sounds close to 团圆tuán yuán, a family together, and the round shape says the same thing. In much of southern China they're the Winter Solstice food, and they're the Lantern Festival food almost everywhere, fifteen days after New Year.

In the north the Lantern Festival version is called 元宵yuán xiāo. Those are made a different way, by rolling firm filling in dry rice flour, dipping it in water and rolling it again, over and over, until it builds a coating. This recipe is the southern wrapped kind, which is easier at home.

Ingredients

½ cup (70 g) black sesame seeds, for the filling
¼ cup (50 g) sugar, for the filling
3 tbsp (40 g) lard or unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (150 g) glutinous rice flour, not regular rice flour
½ cup (120 ml) warm water, plus a little more as needed
4 slices fresh ginger, for the syrup optional
3 tbsp (40 g) brown sugar or rock sugar, for the syrup optional
3 cups (720 ml) water, for the syrup optional

Tools

Spice grinder or blender
Large pot
Slotted spoon

Steps

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and a few start to pop, about 3 minutes. Let them cool.
Grind the sesame and sugar to a fine, slightly damp powder in a spice grinder or blender. Mix in the lard or butter to make a thick paste.
Chill the filling until firm enough to roll.
Roll the filling into 16 small balls, about 2 teaspoons (10 g) each, and put them back in the fridge or freezer while you make the dough.
Stir the warm water into the glutinous rice flour a little at a time and knead into a smooth dough that feels like soft play dough. If it cracks, add water a teaspoon at a time. If it's sticky, add a little flour.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Flatten one into a small cup, set a ball of filling inside, pinch it closed and roll smooth between your palms. Keep the rest of the dough covered so it doesn't dry out.
For the syrup, if you're making it: simmer the water, ginger and sugar for 10 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the tangyuan and stir gently so they don't stick to the bottom. When they float, add ½ cup (120 ml) cold water, bring back to a boil, and cook 2–3 minutes more, until they're puffed and the dough is soft all the way through.
Lift them into bowls and ladle the ginger syrup, or some of the cooking water, over the top. Warn people: the filling is very hot.

Good to know

The right flour: Glutinous rice flour (糯米粉 nuò mǐ fěn) is what makes them chewy. In Asian groceries, the Erawan brand comes in a green bag for glutinous rice flour and a red bag for regular rice flour. The red one won't work.
Small kids and older eaters: Cut them in half and eat slowly. The dough is very sticky and can be a choking risk.
Make ahead: Freeze uncooked tangyuan on a tray, then bag them. Cook from frozen; they take a couple of minutes longer.
Other fillings: Peanut, red bean paste, or none at all. Plain small ones are often served in sweet fermented rice soup.

Ask your grandparents

Did your family eat tangyuan at the Winter Solstice, the Lantern Festival, or both?
Sweet or savory? Some regions make them with meat.