Everyone knows that people in the south eat tangyuan, while those in the north eat yuanxiao. Many people might wonder, aren't tangyuan and yuanxiao the same food? Let me tell you today, although tangyuan and yuanxiao look very similar, they are definitely not the same food. Let's take a look at their differences below.
I. Difference in Flavor
Tangyuan: Besides sweet ones, there are also savory tangyuan. They can be filled or solid without filling. Among them, savory tangyuan generally have no filling in the middle, and the saltiness comes from the soup; solid, unfilled tangyuan are very light, with only a small amount of sugar added to the soup. They are not as greasy as those with sesame or peanut fillings, making them suitable for those who are afraid of oil.
Yuanxiao: The biggest characteristic is sweetness. The variety of fillings is relatively small, mainly including black sesame, mixed nuts (wuren), red bean paste, etc., with some added sugar.
II. Difference in Fillings
Tangyuan: Originally, the main fillings were black sesame, red bean paste, walnut kernels, mixed nuts, and jujube paste. Nowadays, people's tastes have become more demanding. To meet market demand, both yuanxiao and tangyuan have broken with tradition and ventured into fruit flavors. In recent years, Western flavors like coffee and matcha have also appeared, making the choices dazzling.
Yuanxiao: Originally, the main fillings were assorted fillings (shijin) and jujube paste. Assorted filling is actually a mixture of sugar, rose, sesame, red bean paste, huang gui (a type of osmanthus), walnut kernels, and mixed nuts, which feels very similar to the mixed nut filling in mooncakes.
III. Difference in Production Process
Tangyuan: The process of making tangyuan is like making dumplings. First, the glutinous rice flour needs to be kneaded and left to rest. Then, the filling is made; the moisture content in tangyuan filling is higher than in yuanxiao filling, so it can be loose like dumpling filling or kneaded into small balls. Finally, a piece of dough is pinched, flattened, the filling is wrapped inside, and it's kneaded into a ball.
Yuanxiao: The focus is on the filling. First, the filling is made and cut into small pieces. Then, the filling is placed in a large bamboo basket filled with glutinous rice flour and shaken back and forth (nowadays, machines are used). It is shaken until a thick layer of glutinous rice coating is formed around the filling.
IV. Difference in Texture
Tangyuan: The skin is chewy, and the filling is also slightly chewy. The soup after boiling is relatively thick, a bit like drinking rice soup.
Yuanxiao: The skin is smooth with a delicate texture. Because the filling is moist, when yuanxiao is bitten into, the filling flows out like lava. In addition, the soup from boiled yuanxiao is clearer than that from tangyuan.