Are Yuanxiao and Tangyuan the same?
The taste of Yuanxiao is relatively simple. The traditional Lantern Festival has only one sweet taste. Generally, sesame seeds, sweet-scented osmanthus and red bean paste are put in Yuanxiao. Tangyuan is rich in flavor. Common tastes of glutinous rice balls are: sweet, salty, meat and vegetarian. Now some people follow the trend to make fruit dumplings and durian dumplings. As long as the stuffing is chosen correctly, it is a unique pot of glutinous rice balls.
Tangyuan is made like jiaozi. First, dry glutinous rice flour is kneaded with water to form dough, and then it is filled with dough, which is round and quick-frozen for easy storage. Most of the dumplings are made by machines.
They also have different appearances. After the Lantern Festival is cooked, there will be "fluff" on the surface, that is, flour floating powder. When the pot is cooked, flour and water are mixed, and the soup is milky white. Yuanxiao expands rapidly after being cooked, which is bigger than glutinous rice balls. Dumpling skin is made of dry glutinous rice flour and water, with good cohesion, smooth surface and clear soup.