Which is better, Yuanxiao in the north or Tangyuan in the south?

Tangyuan is "wrapped" and its skin is smooth and sticky.

Yuanxiao is "rolled out", and the skin is dry and soft.

Tangyuan is to knead raw glutinous rice flour into dough with hot water or cold water, and then put all kinds of stuffing pericardium into it and knead it into a circle.

Yuanxiao is to make a solid filling, cut it into small pieces, dip it in water, then shake it on a sieve filled with raw glutinous rice flour, and sprinkle some water while shaking it until the filling is completely pulverized and rolled into a ball.

Secondly, the choice of stuffing is different:

The stuffing of glutinous rice balls is soft, and there are many choices of salty and sweet vegetarian dishes.

The stuffing of Yuanxiao is hard, usually single and sweet.

In addition to the traditional five kernels, red bean paste and hawthorn cake, there are many kinds of jiaozi stuffed with coarse grains, fruits and flowers, as well as meat stuffed with dried plums and fresh mushrooms. According to the nature of China people's eating, it is not surprising that there will be fish-flavored shredded pork, kung pao chicken and even mala Tang stuffing in the future.

In contrast, Yuanxiao is much more specific. The common fillings are sweet mouth, black sesame and red bean paste.

Then there are different ways to eat:

Tangyuan is mostly cooked and fried.

Yuanxiao is mostly fried or cooked.

If you cook jiaozi, the cooking time is relatively short, and it will float in about 3-5 minutes. The boiled soup is clear soup.

If you cook Yuanxiao for a long time, often more than 10 minute, the boiled soup becomes turbid because the raw glutinous rice flour absorbs water.

Different storage methods:

Tangyuan can be frozen, so its shelf life is longer.

Yuanxiao is easy to crack after freezing, so its shelf life is short.

Because jiaozi is easy to preserve, frozen jiaozi can be bought all over the country and eaten all year round. Some areas in the south will eat glutinous rice balls during the Spring Festival, winter solstice and other solar terms.

However, the Lantern Festival is easy to crack after a few days or freezing, so usually only the north can make it on the spot and sell it on the same day, which is more festive and atmospheric.