Lantern Festival Food

[liuzhou]

Today (Feb 15, 2022) or Day 15 of the First Month of the Year of the Tiger marks the Lantern Festival, the last day of the Spring Festival which began on Chinese New Year's Day (February 1st, this year).

 

Traditionally, today almost everyone will be eating 汤圆 (tāng yuán, literally 'soup balls') which are boiled balls of sticky rice stuffed with black sesame paste and served in a hot, sweet syrup.

 

Utterly horrible, in my opinion, but what do I know? I'll be having a steak, mushrooms and chips, thanks!

 

Other versions do exist, including savoury tang yuan, but they are very much in the minority. Equally horrible.

 

 

 

The coloured ones contain taro, but are unusual.

Edited February 16, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[Duvel]

The sweet ones in syrup are probably the origin of ozoni, the Japanese New Year dish. The latter is famous for dozens of deaths each year in Japan from slurping the hot soup and inhaling one of the very sticky rice balls with an unfortunate fatal outcome. Is this a phenomenon in China as well ?

[liuzhou]

34 minutes ago, Duvel said:

The sweet ones in syrup are probably the origin of ozoni, the Japanese New Year dish. The latter is famous for dozens of deaths each year in Japan from slurping the hot soup and inhaling one of the very sticky rice balls with an unfortunate fatal outcome. Is this a phenomenon in China as well ?

 

Not one I've heard of. But I find the two are quite different.

[heidih]

What is the symbolism?

[liuzhou]

According to Wikipedia, "the name of the dish is a homophone for union ... ...  团圆; pinyin: tuányuán)"

 

Whoever wrote that drivel clearly doesn't know what a homophone is because that ain't one! Also, 团圆 doesn't mean 'union'. It means 'family reunion'. And today, there are precious few reunions on the Lantern Festival. Quite the opposite. Most people will have returned to work by then.

 

It then goes on to say "The round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family cohesion." Maybe once; not now.

 

The Lantern Festival is held on the first full moon of the lunisolar calendar. The balls resemble the moon.

Edited February 15, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Thanks - that s why I did not go to Wiki. A more reliable source right here.

[Anna N]

18 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Today (Feb 15, 2022) or Day 15 of the First Month of the Year of the Tiger marks the Lantern Festival, the last day of the Spring Festival which began on Chinese New Year's Day (February 1st, this year).

I expected to see a marvellous display of lanterns when I logged on here! But I did learn something about the beginning and the ending of the Chinese new year holiday. Thank you.