It's lantern festival — time to have a ball

Outside a bustling Daoxiangcun pastry shop in Beijing on Monday, a day before this year's Lantern Festival, a chef deftly shakes a bamboo sieve, transforming fillings like sesame paste, red bean, hawthorn jam — even chocolate — into snowy-white balls called yuanxiao. Nearby, simmering in a large pot, these glutinous dumplings gently puff up, releasing an irresistible fragrance to customers and passersby.

In Shanghai, office worker Li Meng waits in a long line outside Meixin dim sum shop, craving its famous crab roe tangyuan.

Whatever you call them, yuanxiao or tangyuan, the chewy, flavor-filled glutinous rice balls are a quintessential treat during Lantern Festival, also known as Yuanxiao Festival, which marks the first full moon in the first month of the Chinese calendar and the official end of Chinese New Year celebrations.

But be warned, asking "yuanxiao or tangyuan?" is like asking "Coke or Pepsi?" in China. It's a debate that ignites passionate opinions nationwide.

So what's the difference? It's all about the process. In the north, chefs create yuanxiao by rolling the filling in dry glutinous rice flour, much like building a snowball. In the south, tangyuan are crafted by wrapping glutinous rice dough around a filling, similar to making dumplings.

Zhang Libin, a chef from Fujian province in East China who is now based in Beijing, knows both worlds well. He serves both sweet peanut and savory pork-stuffed tangyuan on Lantern Festival nights in one bowl, a tradition from his hometown.

"Just sweet ones can be too much. They're the same food, just different regional styles," he said.

Zhang noted that yuanxiao, typically sweet, offer a chewier texture, while tangyuan are softer and silkier. No matter the name, both symbolize family unity, harmony and hopes for a prosperous year.

They're more than just food; they represent reunion, said historian Luo Shuwei.

This tradition dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when they were called "floating round balls". By the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), the north-south divide was firmly established.

Flavors also vary by region. Yuanxiao are usually sweet and can be boiled or deep-fried. Tangyuan boast diverse sweet and savory options. Consider the lard-and-sesame tangyuan, from Ningbo in Zhejiang province, the chicken-stuffed tangyuan with chicken soup from Xingyi, Guizhou province, or the ones filled with pork and shepherd's purse found in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province. Chaozhou in Guangdong province even has "duck mother dumplings" (yamunian) with various sweet fillings such as green bean paste, red bean paste, taro and sesame sugar.

While yuanxiao appear mainly around Lantern Festival, tangyuan are now available throughout the year, leading to wild flavor innovations like durian, snail noodles, and, as previously mentioned, even chocolate!

This year, Li Meng is ordering matcha and chocolate-filled tangyuan online. "Sweet or savory, these rice balls celebrate regional cultures and emotional connections," she said.

So, grab a bowl and join the delicious debate! Whether you prefer the squishy bite of yuanxiao or the silky embrace of tangyuan, you're partaking in a centuries-old tradition that embodies the warmth and unity of Lantern Festival.

dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn