Dessert · Boiled

Ningbo Tangyuan (Sweet Rice Balls)

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The filling is solid black sesame paste mixed with lard — melting into a rich, glossy, faintly savory-sweet center only once fully cooked.

Glutinous rice flour, ground with water into a smooth dough, is wrapped around black sesame paste and lard, rolled into balls, and boiled until they float.

Why it's made this way: Ningbo's water-ground rice-flour technique produces a smooth wrapper, and round rice balls symbolize wholeness and togetherness at festivals.