Rice Glue Ball

Tangtuan (rice glue ball) is a kind of traditional 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 history of over 700 years. 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. 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. 

                                                           汤圆

汤圆是中国的一种传统食物，最初在隋朝被命名为元宵，用来指代元宵节，元宵节是一个以吃汤圆的形式来庆祝的节日。至今它已经有超过700年的历史了。在古代，农历正月十五被称作灯节。这种深受大众喜爱的食物很快就传到了宁波。随着它的不断发展和改进，这种有着特殊味道，由糯米和猪肉做馅儿的宁波汤圆就这样产生了。

这种肉馅儿的宁波汤圆是所有汤圆中最受欢迎的。据考证，这种汤圆最早源于宋朝和元朝，是由上等的糯米混合新鲜的纯白糖，外加黑芝麻，以及优质的肉馅儿做成。特有的香味、甜味、鲜味儿、细腻和润滑，以及这种汤圆的粘性和肉馅儿的香味使它成为国内外都很受欢迎的甜点。根据民间习俗，每个宁波家庭都会在新年的时候吃汤圆作早餐，以此来表达他们对幸福生活，团圆，和好运的向往。很多海外华人也会吃一碗汤圆以解思乡之苦。在1982年，宁波汤圆首次作为小吃从浙江出口到海外，而且在1997年，它还被选为“中国最好的小吃”。

由于汤圆寓意着团圆和好运，即使是海外华人，每当在节日想起远方的亲人，也不会忘了在春节去吃一碗汤圆，以此表达期盼团圆的愿望和对家乡的思念。