A good and longtime friend Mr. SPYeo sent me a video clip of Tang Yuan dessert, one that I had totally forgotten about. I remember as a child waiting for December months just to eat this sweet dish. We usually eat them after lunch but here's the story and song behind these white glutinous flour balls.
The Winter Solstice Festival around December 22nd or Dongzhi Festival is an important celebration by the Chinese and East Asians. It originates with the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos and is not a religious tradition.
Longer daylight hours after this period of celebration interprets an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this ideal is symbolized by the I Ching Hexagram fu (復). This dessert is eaten at the end of the Chinese New Year festival too.
21 COMMENTS, CHATS
These white rice balls (later colorful ones for children) symbolize re-union. I remember getting six of these balls in my little bowl because that year I was six years old.
You get one for each year of your life. But it's a custom seldom enforced for an obvious reason😊. Of course, I had a refill of another six later. Traditionally, there's one big ball and other smaller ones served in the bowl.
Man, it was a dessert I relished throughout my childhood but when my parents passed away and as I grew up, family and friends forgot this tradition. I don't celebrate this season with my family now. Culturally, we should.
There are many dessert shops in Singapore today that serve this dish. Anyone for a bowl of *Tang Yuan (湯圓)? Let me know.
*Literally means Sugary Rounds.
NB:
The song that goes with Tang Yuan. Here it is taken from Jerry Yee's YouTube
site and sung so beautifully by young lady singer Zoe.
Rice balls for sale, rice balls for sale.
The server's rice balls are round and round.
One bowl of rice balls is full and full.
30 cents for a bowl.
Rice balls, rice balls, rice balls for sale.
Rice balls can be used as a meal as well.
Hey...yo!
Rice balls, rice balls, rice balls for sale.
Rice balls can be used as a meal as well.
Images: Google.
YouTube Video: Jerry Yee.
The birth of Tang Yuan was originated from a scholar named Zhang Zhongjing (image below) from the Han Dynasty.
One freezing winter, he saw some hungry, poverty-stricken civilians who couldn't fend for themselves. They were also suffering from frostbite; due to the extremely cold winter.
Zhang Zhongjing was a kind man, sympathized the civilians and ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb meat and other ingredients to warm up these poor and prevent them from further harm. Food costs were reduced by using rice-flour later on but the hot bowl of food and liquid was important.
Click Comments below for interesting reads.
These white rice balls (later colorful ones for children) symbolize re-union. I remember getting six of these balls in my little bowl because that year I was six years old.
You get one for each year of your life. But it's a custom seldom enforced for an obvious reason😊. Of course, I had a refill of another six later. Traditionally, there's one big ball and other smaller ones served in the bowl.
Man, it was a dessert I relished throughout my childhood but when my parents passed away and as I grew up, family and friends forgot this tradition. I don't celebrate this season with my family now. Culturally, we should.
There are many dessert shops in Singapore today that serve this dish. Anyone for a bowl of *Tang Yuan (湯圓)? Let me know.
*Literally means Sugary Rounds.
NB:
The song that goes with Tang Yuan. Here it is taken from Jerry Yee's YouTube
site and sung so beautifully by young lady singer Zoe.
Rice balls for sale, rice balls for sale.
The server's rice balls are round and round.
One bowl of rice balls is full and full.
30 cents for a bowl.
Rice balls, rice balls, rice balls for sale.
Rice balls can be used as a meal as well.
Hey...yo!
Rice balls, rice balls, rice balls for sale.
Rice balls can be used as a meal as well.
Images: Google.
YouTube Video: Jerry Yee.
The birth of Tang Yuan was originated from a scholar named Zhang Zhongjing (image below) from the Han Dynasty.
One freezing winter, he saw some hungry, poverty-stricken civilians who couldn't fend for themselves. They were also suffering from frostbite; due to the extremely cold winter.
Zhang Zhongjing was a kind man, sympathized the civilians and ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb meat and other ingredients to warm up these poor and prevent them from further harm. Food costs were reduced by using rice-flour later on but the hot bowl of food and liquid was important.
Click Comments below for interesting reads.
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