Rice Glue Balls

Tangtuan (rice glue ball)  is a kind of traditional Chinese cultural food in China. Originally named yuanxiao in  the Sui Dynasty (581- 618 A.D.), it used to refer to the Lantern  Festival, a day celebrated with rice glue balls. It now has a over 700 years in Chinese history. In old times, January 15th on Chinese lunar calendar is  called the night of Lantern Festival. This food, much favored by  people, was then spread to Ningbo. Through its continuous development  and improvement, the unique flavor of Ningbo rice glue balls made of  glutinous rice with lard stuffing has gradually come into being.
The Ningbo rice glue balls with lard stuffing are the most popular  among all the rice glue balls. Textual research has it that it was  originated in the Song and Yuan Dynasties and made of top grade local  glutinous rice with tender, pure “white soft sugar”, black sesames and  high quality lard stuffing. Featuring fragrance, sweetness, freshness,  smoothness and glutinosity, the rice glue balls are pleasantly glutinous  with lard fragrance, a truly fresh and delicious dessert enjoyed by  people both home and abroad.


Glue Balls

According to folk custom, every household  in Ningbo region will enjoy Ningbo rice glue balls for their breakfast  on the New Year’s Day to express their wishes for happiness, reunion and  good luck. Many overseas Chinese would too have a bowl of rice glue  balls to release their homesickness. In 1982, the Ningbo rice glue balls  became the first snack exported abroad from Zhejiang Province; while in  1997, it was selected as one of the “Famous Snacks in China”.
With its connotation of reunion and good luck, even the overseas  Chinese, thinking of their relatives far away on festive days, will  never forget to eat the lard “Tangtuan” on the Spring Festival, looking  forward to reunion and delivering their homesickness.