Tradition Mission

Making Yuanxiao? Don't try it at home!

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-02-26 18:44

  

We started Spring Festival with fireworks, and now, we are going to feast for the last part of the celebration with the traditional sweet dumplings.

Daoxiangcun is a brand renowned for making traditional Chinese foods. And judging by the crowd, I know I’ve come to the right place; they are buying Yuanxiao not only for themselves, but also for their relatives, friends, and loved ones.

Sanitation is a serious matter. Before I was allowed inside, I had to wash my hands with anti-bacterial gel, and I was doused with a germ-killing spray, then led into an extremely cold, sterile room.

The workers here are extremely busy trying to meet the huge demands of the Yuanxiao-consuming public during the Lantern period.

The stuffing for the Yuanxiao this year mainly comes in four varieties: black sesame, fruit, chocolate and mixed seeds. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour, and so it goes, repeating five times.

Video: Cong Fangjun

Editor: Cong Fangjun & Huan CAO