Yuanxiao Rice Dumplings

• In reality, there is just one traditional Chinese Lantern Festival food and that is glutinous rice ball dumplings. In northern China, these rice dumplings are called yuanxiao, which means "lantern festival". They're made by forming a ball of sweet filling such as bean paste, ground sesame or peanuts mixed with sugar, and then rolling it in glutinous rice flour until it forms a large ball. The balls are then cooked in boiling water.

Tang Yuan Rice Dumplings

• In southern China the glutinous rice dumplings consumed at Chinese Lantern Festival are called tang yuan. The main difference between yuanxiao and tang yuan is how they're made. Tang yuan is made by first mixing the rice flour with water to form a dough. The dough is rolled into a ball and flattened. The filling for tan yuan may be a sweet filling or it might be a meat filling. A spoonful is placed on the flattened dough and then shaped into a ball and boiled.

Symbolic and Delicious

• Sweet or savory, the importance of eating yuanxiao and tang yuan at Chinese Lantern Festival is summed up by their symbolism. The glutinous rice dumplings are white and round, looking very much like the full moon that marks the festival. The roundness of the dumplings is an especially important symbol among families as it represents wholeness and togetherness as a wish for the future.

2,000 Years of History

• Because of its long history, Chinese Lantern Festival has evolved and changed along with Chinese culture. The origin of Chinese Lantern Festival can be traced to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.) and Emperor Hanmingdi who was a follower of Buddhism. After learning that it was customary for monks to light lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to show respect for the Buddha, he ordered that all Chinese temples and households should do the same. The lighting of lanterns evolved over time into a festival and began to incorporate other meanings as well. Some traditions assert that the lanterns symbolize the return of warmth and sunlight in the spring. This is also connected with prayers for the success of the upcoming growing season.