THE tang yuen or glutinous rice ball has come a long way since its creation by the Chinese some 5,000 years ago.
From simple sticky rice balls cooked in sugar syrup, it has evolved into a delicacy with fruit juices, soymilk and even tom yam soup.
Chef Poh Chai Eng said the changing times had modernised the flavours and presentation of foods.
Easy does it : Poh (left) and Choy Yoke Chun showing the tang yuen made during the cooking demonstration. The tang yuen, she said, was no exception.
“As people become more modern, so do their tastes in food.
“For instance, these little glutinous rice balls are now being filled with a variety of items such as black sesame, red bean, peanuts and even fruits.
“What’s more interesting is that they are no longer only served as a dessert but in savoury soups and broths as well,” Poh said after demonstrating some new tang yuen recipes in conjunction with the Winter Solstice Festival.
The festival, which is celebrated on Dec 22 annually, is a day for the Chinese to observe the beginning of winter and a reminder that another year has gone by and a new one is coming.
Yuen means round in Mandarin, signifying ‘completeness’ and ‘perfection’.
According to traditional belief, one grows a year older after eating the tang yuen.
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