Chung mixes glutinous rice flour with a small amount of water in the process of making tangyang.
MANY Chinese families still uphold the tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice Festival or Dongzhi, one of the most important festivals to the Chinese community across the globe and especially in China.
Traditionally, Dongzhi is a time for the family to get together. One activity during the festival, usually held on Dec 22 every year, is the making and eating of tangyuan or glutinous rice balls which symbolise reunion.
Dongzhi is also one of the 24 solar terms, indicating different seasonal periods and changes of weather. Since the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of the Winter Solstice by observing the movements of the sun with a sundial.
Dongzhi became a festival from the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 BC). To mark the occasion, people usually eat dumplings or tangyuan. The latter is also a reminder that those who celebrate are a year older and should behave better in the coming year.
Even today, many Chinese, especially the elderly, around the world still insist that one is ‘a year older’ right after Dongzhi instead of the Lunar New Year.
Chung Moi Fah, 68, keeps the tradition of making tangyuan for her family on Dongzhi. This year, she made tangyuan with her close friends over a week earlier than the actual day of the festival.
Plain tangyuan are boiled in a metal pot.
She had already rolled some glutinous rice balls before thesundaypost, led by Chinese culture enthusiasts Dr Chou Chii Ming and Mary Wong, called on her at her residence in Batu Kawa.
Chung demonstrated how glutinous rice flour was mixed with water before turning the flour into smaller glutinous rice balls or tangyuan.
While Chung was busy with the demonstration, Wong said tangyuan is traditionally white in colour but people created new flavours by mixing either yam or pumpkin paste with glutinous rice flour.
In this way, Wong explained, the colouring was totally natural and the tangyuan would also taste better.
Scooping coloured glutinous rice balls out of the pot.
She added that people would use pandan leaves to make the tangyuan green — with yam for purple, pumpkin for orange and dragon fruit for red.
According to Wong, there are people who eat tangyuan all year round rather than only on Dongzhi.
“They can buy the mixed glutinous rice at the Kenyalang Wet Market and make dessert with it at home,” she said.
Two types
There are ‘filled and unfilled’ tangyuan. Most families prefer making the latter and coating them with peanut powder.
Glutinous rice balls ready for boiling.
Chung and her friends made a couple of filled tangyuan with peanut butter spread. Sesame, sweet bean paste and chocolate are used for other variations.
As soon as she finished making the small glutinous rice balls, Chung turned on the stove. She left the tanyuan in boiling water for a while before scooping them into another pot filled with sweet syrup.
The process took under 20 minutes, and the tangyuan would stay afloat if not scooped out right away.
Chung served her friends and guests a bowl each and shared some light moments with them, recalling that in the old days, tangyuan were also served during weddings and house-warming parties.
Mixed glutinous rice flour is used to make to tangyuan.
She added that the glutinous rice balls and the bowls in which they were served symbolised reunion and family togetherness.
According to Chou, former president of the Federation of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions Chinese Associations, Dongzhi in Chinese means the arrival of winter.
“The Lunar calendar has 24 solar terms in a year with two for each month. Each term is 15 days apart. The two solar terms in the 11th Lunar month are Great Snow (Dec 7) and Dongzhi (Dec 22).
“On the day of Dongzhi, people living in the Northern Hemisphere will experience the shortest day, the longest night and the coldest day of the year, and spend some 81 days in winter before entering ‘the bright spring.’
Peanut butter is used as a tangyuan filling.
“People in China consider Dongzhi the most important solar term as it tells people they’re getting older by one year and entering another bright spring,” he explained.
Different celebration
Dongzhi celebration differs from place to place in China.
Chou said Fujian Province and Taiwan regarded Dongzhi as a festival of family reunion.
“People working in distant places try to take leave and go home to eat tangyuan with family members. They also offer the delicacy to ancestors at shrines.
Colourful tangyuan symbolise family reunion.
“In China, farmers will take a long rest in winter and enjoy steamed herb poultry and meat as a source of tonic food.
“They make Donzi a happy occasion for family members, sitting down together in cheerful mood to knead flour into small glutinous rice balls to signify reunion and happiness. Children can also have fun making tangyuan in the form of fish, prawn, tiger and lion.”
At times, tangyuan are dyed red for auspiciousness.
Chou noted that in some regions, people placed raw tangyuan in the doorways, windows and kitchen stoves as offerings to various spirits for pacification.
“Locally, devotees offer tangyuan to deities in temples, and also to their ancestors as a form of respect and gratitude for the blessings received during the year and will receive in the coming new year,” he said.
Chung (left) and (from right) Chou and Wong giving the thumbs-up to a fete of tangyuan.