Making Yuanxiao? Don't try it at home!

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