Let’s share this traditional dessert’s believes and myths
Tang Yuan or glutinous rice ball is a Chinese dessert that is served during the Dong Zhi festival. It can be served either plain or stuffed with ingredients like lotus paste or grounded peanuts.
Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) also known as Tang Check by the Peranakan is literally translated as the arrival of winter. It has the longest night in the year. By eating this Chinese dessert known as Tang Yuan or Kueh Eeh, you welcome winter and become one year older.
The belief passed down from my grandmother
I can still vividly remember that my grandma said that you have to eat the number of Kuih Eeh according to your age.
If you are 18 years old, you need to eat 18 glutinous rice balls plus one extra. Can you imagine if you are 81 years old and have to “swallow” 82 glutinous rice balls? How are you going to do that with only a few teeth left? I guess that’s the reason why my grandma used to roll tiny sized plain Kueh Eeh!
More cultural belief, traditions and folktales
According to the Chinese custom, the round shape of the dessert itself symbolizes reunion and completeness! Some people celebrate Dong Zhi festival on a grander scale than Chinese New Year where family members gather for a reunion.
Interestingly, are you aware that those glutinous rice balls also function as secret code during the Japanese Occupation? According to olden belief or old folks tale shared by my mother-in-law, people stick two glutinous rice balls on each side of their wooden doors as a sign that they are friends and the soldiers going round will not enter their houses. What an unexpected mind blowing and creative method!
Another important occasion when glutinous rice balls are significant will be during Chinese and Peranakan wedding. The bride and groom will each be served a bowl of white and red coloured glutinous rice balls so that they will have a happy life together.
However, nowadays you could eat glutinous rice balls whenever you wish with a variety of colourful glutinous rice ball to choose from. During the olden days, Tang Yuan only comes in bloody red or snowy white in colour.
So what will your choice be? Red or white glutinous rice balls, plain or stuffed ones and savoary or sweet?
