Tang Yuan (Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling)
A traditional Chinese dessert that’s perfect for any Lunar New Year celebration.
Serves4
Makesmakes about 15
Prep30 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Having lived in Shanghai, there’s one Chinese dessert I always look forward to at every gathering: Tang yuan. The sweet glutinous rice balls are sticky and chewy with a similar texture to mochi. They consist of two parts — the skin and the filling — and are served in a sweet ginger broth.
Tang yuan range in size from a marble to a ping-pong ball and come either plain or stuffed with a filling like peanuts, red bean, or ground black sesame (the most traditional). I loved creating these little balls. You’ll want to set aside an hour to make these — your hands will be moving the entire time.
I spoke with Shenzhi Ni, the pastry chef at Yongfoo Elite, a 20-year-old club-restaurant that was formerly the British Consulate, located in the heart of Shanghai’s former French Concession, to ask what qualities make for a good tang yuan. According to Chef Ni, good tang yuan should be even in size, have a thin skin, a moderate amount of filling, and a hint of sweetness.
As I tested this recipe, I also explored various ingredient combinations, ratios, and measurements, as there are many ways to make it.
The Cultural Significance of Tang Yuan
Tang yuan originated in the city of Ningbo about 1,100 years ago. These bite-size sweets have historically been linked with the first full moon of the Chinese New Year, at a celebration known as the Lantern Festival, which occurs on the 15th day of the first lunar month. (If you’re new to the holiday, here’s a guide to navigating the festivities).
Families gather around to eat tang yuan in the belief that it will bring them happiness and good fortune in the new year. Its round shape symbolizes harmony, togetherness, and unity.
What’s the Difference Between Yuan Xiao and Tang Yuan?
Over the years, several names have been given to tang yuan. During the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty, it was called yuan xiao 元宵 (which translates to “first night,” where the character yuan means “first” and xiao means “night”) in northern China. The fundamental differences between the two lie in how they’re made in the north and south, what filling it is stuffed with, how it’s cooked, and subsequently stored.
Yuan xiao, which is the name generally used in northern China, has a sweet and solid filling and is often served in a thick broth. Tang yuan, as it’s known in southern China, is usually stuffed with a soft filling (either sweet or savory) and served in a thinner soup.
Ingredients Needed to Make Tang Yuan
You’ll be surprised to know that most of the ingredients you need for tang yuan are easy to find at large grocery stores. The rest can be bought at Asian supermarkets like H Mart.
- Roasted black sesame seeds. These seeds can be bought in packages. If you have raw black sesame seeds, you can roast them two ways: oven and stovetop. For the oven, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes or until aromatic. For the stovetop, place them in a single layer in a frying pan and stir them occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes or until toasty.
- Sweet rice flour. Also known as glutinous flour, it’s made from short-grain rice, which has a higher starch content. When cooked, it becomes moist, firm, and sticky due to its higher proportion of waxy starch molecules. It has a subtly sweet, almost milky flavor. Look for the flours labeled as mochiko like this one from Koda Farms.
- Ginger. Choose fresh ginger for a stronger and spicier flavored broth. Slice on the diagonal so the pieces are larger (you can always remove them upon serving).
- Dark brown sugar or Chinese rock sugar. Use dark brown sugar if you want to give the broth a sweeter flavor and more color. Chinese rock sugar, on the other hand, makes for a lighter, more yellow-toned syrup.
How to Make Tang Yuan
Here’s a basic breakdown of the process.
- Grind the sesame seeds. Place roasted black sesame seeds in a food processor and process until finely ground.
- Form into balls and chill. Add butter, sugar, and salt to the ground sesame seeds and mix it with your hands until combined. Scoop out the mixture and roll each portion in a ball. Refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld and the filling to firm up.
- Make and shape the dough. Add warm water slowly to the dough, making sure the dough is not too wet. Scoop the dough out and roll each portion into a ball, dusting your hands with a little all-purpose flour to prevent sticking if needed.
- Fill the dough balls. Place the black sesame balls in the center and gently wrap and shape the dough around the filling until it is completely covered.
- Make the ginger syrup. Bring water to a boil, add ginger slices and sugar, and cook. Add tang yuan and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking.
Variations on Tang Yuan
The first time I had tang yuan was at Lao Ji Shi (Old Jesse, 老吉士), a nondescript restaurant serving traditional Shanghai cuisine. There, they offered jiu niang yuan zi 酒酿圆子, a variation of tang yuan, which consisted of chewy mini glutinous rice balls swimming in a warm, subtly sweet soup with fermented rice (or jiu niang 酒酿), dried Osmanthus flower, and goji berries. From what I learned from local chefs, this variation is commonly eaten in the neighboring Zhejiang province, located in east China.
Later on, I discovered another variation of tang yuan that is traditionally filled with ground black sesame. The size appears slightly bigger than jiu niang yuan zi and when you bite on it, the rich filling oozes out like a lava. It is traditionally served warm, slightly submerged in black sesame-, red bean-, or ginger-flavored broth.
Tang Yuan Recipe
A traditional Chinese dessert that’s perfect for any Lunar New Year celebration.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Makes makes about 15
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the tang yuan:
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup
roasted black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
- 1
pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup
glutinous or sweet rice flour, preferably Mochiko
- 1/2 cup
warm water, plus more as needed
All-purpose flour, for dusting
For ginger broth:
- 1
(1 1/2-inch) piece ginger
- 3 cups
water
- 2 tablespoons
packed dark brown sugar or 3 tablespoons Chinese rock sugar
- 2
dried Chinese red dates (optional)
Instructions
Make the tang yuan:
Place 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened.
Place 1/4 cup roasted black sesame seeds in a small food processor fitted with a blade attachment or spice grinder and process until finely ground. Transfer to the bowl with the butter. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix with your hands until combined.
Scoop out the mixture in 15 (1-teaspoon) portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place in a single layer on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes for the flavors to meld and the filling to firm up.
Place 1 cup sweet or glutinous rice flour in a medium bowl. While stirring constantly, add 1/2 cup warm water a little at a time. Continue mixing until a smooth dough forms, adding more warm water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is dry. Scoop the dough out into 15 (1-tablespoon) portions. Roll each portion into a ball, dusting your hands with a little all-purpose flour to prevent sticking if needed.
Fill the dough balls one at a time: Place one dough ball in the palm of your non-dominant hand. With your middle and forefinger on the other hand, press and flatten the dough ball into a round about 2-inches wide and about 1/3-inch thick. Place a black sesame ball in the center and gently wrap and shape the dough around the filling until it is completely covered. Roll the dough in your hands until round and smooth. Place on a plate or baking sheet in a single layer, making sure they are not touching. If the dough balls feel dry at any point, moisten your hands to dampen slightly as needed.
Make the ginger syrup:
Peel 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece ginger, then cut on a slight diagonal into 6 slices. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar or 3 tablespoons Chinese rock sugar, and 2 dried Chinese red dates if using. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tang yuan and stir immediately to keep them from sticking. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tang yuan are cooked through and float, 8 to 10 minutes.
To serve, transfer the tang yuan with a slotted spoon to serving bowls. Ladle the ginger syrup over the tang yuan and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The uncooked tang yuan can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen; they may need a few more minutes cooking time.
Storage: Leftover tang yuan can be stored in the ginger syrup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Rewarm on the stovetop over medium heat.