Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls (Tangyuan)
Soft, chewy rice-flour balls filled with a rich black sesame paste that turns molten and glossy once cooked, floating in a warm, lightly spiced ginger syrup. A beloved Chinese dessert eaten to celebrate family reunion.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the sesame filling
Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and some seeds start to pop. Grind them in a food processor or mortar with the sugar until you get a thick, slightly oily paste, then mix in the softened butter and salt until smooth. Chill the paste in the fridge until firm enough to roll into balls.
- 60 g black sesame seeds
- 50 g sugar
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the paste is firm enough to shape into small balls without sticking to your hands
Make the dough
In a bowl, mix the with the sugar. Pour in the boiling water and stir with a chopstick until it clumps, then knead with your hands, adding a splash of cold water if needed, until you get a smooth, soft dough that feels like soft playdough and doesn't stick to your fingers. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- 220 g
- 170 ml boiling water
- 15 g sugar
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth and soft, with no dry cracks, and springs back gently when poked
Shape the rice balls
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Make the ginger syrup
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Cook the rice balls
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Serve
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Make the sesame filling
Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and some seeds start to pop. Grind them in a food processor or mortar with the sugar until you get a thick, slightly oily paste, then mix in the softened butter and salt until smooth. Chill the paste in the fridge until firm enough to roll into balls.
- 60 g black sesame seeds
- 50 g sugar
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the paste is firm enough to shape into small balls without sticking to your hands
Make the dough
In a bowl, mix the with the sugar. Pour in the boiling water and stir with a chopstick until it clumps, then knead with your hands, adding a splash of cold water if needed, until you get a smooth, soft dough that feels like soft playdough and doesn't stick to your fingers. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- 220 g
- 170 ml boiling water
- 15 g sugar
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth and soft, with no dry cracks, and springs back gently when poked
Shape the rice balls
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the ginger syrup
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the rice balls
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Tangyuan are tied to the Lantern Festival, the last night of Chinese New Year celebrations, and are also eaten at the Winter Solstice. Their round shape and name, which sounds like the word for 'reunion' (tuanyuan), made them a natural symbol of a family coming together whole.
Ningbo in eastern China is especially famous for the black sesame version, where the filling is pounded with lard or butter and sugar until glossy, then wrapped in a soft rice dough and simmered until it turns molten inside.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The soft, chewy wrapper and rich molten filling, together with the symbolism of wholeness and family unity, make tangyuan one of China's most emotionally loved desserts.
💡 Fun Fact
In northern China a similar sweet is called yuanxiao and is made by rolling dry filling balls in rice flour and water repeatedly, like a snowball, rather than kneading dough around the filling as in the southern tangyuan method.
Ningbo and across China
29.87°N, 121.54°E
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