What is the meaning and symbol of glutinous rice balls? What is the difference between the northern Lantern Festival and the southern glutinous rice balls?

Tangyuan has a beautiful meaning, a symbol of reunion and happiness, and is a symbol of a happy life. Eating tangyuan on the Lantern Festival and the Winter Solstice is a traditional Chinese custom. So, what is the meaning and symbol of tangyuan? What is the difference between the northern Lantern Festival and the southern tangyuan? Let's take a look at the introduction of Encyclopedia Knowledge Network!

Contents of this article

1. The meaning and symbol of glutinous rice balls

2. What is the difference between the northern glutinous rice balls and the southern glutinous rice balls? Who should not eat glutinous rice balls?

3. Which one has higher calories, glutinous rice balls or dumplings?

The meaning and symbolism of glutinous rice balls

Glutinous Rice Balls originated in the Song Dynasty and are one of the representatives of traditional Chinese snacks. They are mainly made with various fruit baits as fillings, and are rolled into balls with glutinous rice flour and cooked. They taste sweet and delicious and are very interesting.

Eating glutinous rice balls is a traditional custom of the Han people, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a saying among the people that "eating glutinous rice balls makes you one year older". Chen Zhisui's poem "Glutinous Rice Balls" says: "Every family cooks them at the winter solstice, and one year has passed without knowing it." A local saying in Ningbo says: "Every family in Ningbo pound rice to make glutinous rice balls, and they are content and happy for another day."

What is the difference between the northern glutinous rice balls and the southern glutinous rice balls? Who can't eat glutinous rice balls?

Yuanxiao in the north is made based on the filling. The glutinous rice (called sticky rice in the south) is very thin and the surface is dry. When it is put into the pot, the glutinous rice flour absorbs water and becomes mushy. The method of making glutinous rice balls in the south is completely different. It is a bit like making dumplings. The water content of glutinous rice balls is higher than that of glutinous rice balls, which is one of the differences between the two. The process of making glutinous rice balls is also like making dumplings, but no rolling pin is used. Wet glutinous rice flour is very sticky, so you have to pinch a small ball of wet dough with your hands and squeeze it into a round shape. There are several groups of people who are not suitable for eating glutinous rice balls and glutinous rice balls, such as the elderly, diabetics, hyperlipidemia patients, pancreatitis, cholecystitis patients and people with weak gastrointestinal function.

Which one has higher calories, glutinous rice balls or dumplings?

The energy content of glutinous rice balls and dumplings is related to their size, quantity, and type of fillings. We cannot simply compare which one has higher calories.

Nutrition experts say:

1. The skin and filling of glutinous rice balls contain high calories, and the energy they provide to the human body is no less than that of staple food, so you should be moderate when eating glutinous rice balls. Traditional glutinous rice balls are made of glutinous rice and different fillings. Glutinous rice itself is a grain with a lot of starch, and the calories contained in the fillings are even higher. For example, the sesame-filled glutinous rice balls we often eat, sesame itself contains a lot of oil, and in the process of making it for a delicate taste, some vegetable oil is also added, so the calories and oil contained in glutinous rice balls are no less than the same amount of staple food. An ordinary sesame-filled glutinous rice ball can bring the human body the equivalent of one or two taels of rice. Two or three glutinous rice balls can equal the standard staple food amount per meal recommended by the dietary pyramid for adults;

2. Dumplings are low in calories because the dumpling skin is rich in fiber (8.1 grams of fiber in 100 grams), and the filling can contain a variety of vegetables. In addition, when cooking methods such as steaming and boiling are used, there is no need to worry about the fat and calories brought by frying. At the same time, a variety of ingredients can be used as the material for the dumpling filling.