Is the origin of glutinous rice balls in Ningbo?

According to legend, Tangyuan originated in the Song Dynasty. At that time, Mingzhou (now Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province) began to eat a novel food, so it originated in Ningbo.

Tangyuan is made of black sesame, lard and white sugar. First, black sesame seeds are ground into powder, then lard and white sugar are put into the mixture and kneaded into balls to make stuffing, and glutinous rice flour is used to knead the stuffing. It tastes sweet and delicious when cooked. Because this kind of dumplings cooked in a pot will float and sink, it was originally called "floating Zi Yuan", and later it was renamed Yuanxiao in some areas. Most southern families are used to getting together to eat the traditional customs of jiaozi on the morning of the Spring Festival. It is said that Yuanxiao symbolizes family reunion, and eating Yuanxiao means family happiness and all the best in the New Year.

The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan is that the stuffing is mixed first, then spread into large round pieces, cooled and cut into squares with dice. Then dip the stuffing in water and roll it into Yuanxiao like a snowball in flour. Yuanxiao River has a thin layer of vermicelli, and its noodles are dry and seamless, so it absorbs water only after cooking, which is popular in the north.

Jiaozi in the south is mostly glutinous rice flour. First, add water, then make dough (the same as the dough made in jiaozi) and leave it for several hours to "wake up". Then mix all the stuffing materials and put them in a big bowl for use (don't cut them into small pieces like Yuanxiao). The water content of dumpling stuffing is more than that of Yuanxiao, which is one of the differences between them. The process of wrapping jiaozi is also like that of jiaozi, but there is no rolling pin. Wet glutinous rice flour is very sticky, so we have to pull a small group of wet noodles by hand and squeeze them into a circle. A thin bamboo slice tool picks a lump of stuffing and puts it on the glutinous rice slice, then turns your hands together to make dumplings. The surface of the finished jiaozi is smooth and shiny, and some of them are pointed, like a peach. The skin of glutinous rice balls already contains enough water, which is very sticky and difficult to preserve. It is best to cook and eat now.

The earliest record of eating Lantern Festival can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. At that time, Yuanxiao was called "floating dumplings", "dumplings", "lactose dumplings" and "sugar dumplings". According to historical records such as Pingyuan Xu, Guangji Four Years Old and Ode to Daming, Yuanxiao, as a timely food to celebrate the Lantern Festival, began in the Song Dynasty. Because we must eat "Zi Yuan" during the Lantern Festival, people named it Yuanxiao.

Gunyuanxiao

Bao jiaozi.