Mom says one of the things one must eat for Lunar New Year is tang yuan, or glutinous rice balls. There are savory versions (some pork-filled, even), but I’ve only ever had the sweet kind, which can come stuffed (with red bean or sesame paste, among other things) or unstuffed.
Stuffed tang yuan are served in the water in which they’re cooked, while the unstuffed kind might be served in a warm red bean or sesame paste soup. The kind I had today at White Swan Bakery in Manhattan’s Chinatown came in water sweetened with rock sugar and flavored with ginger. Whatever kind you get, the rice balls themselves are bound to be chewy and sticky. The Chinese have a special appreciation for textures in their food. Especially the squishy kind.
White Swan Bakery
24 Bowery
New York, NY 10013
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