Ningbo Tangyuan

Ningbo tangyuan are lard-filled sweet dumplings: a wet-milled glutinous rice skin wrapped around soft white sugar, black sesame and lard, served in a lightly sweet broth.

Tangyuan have a long history in Ningbo as the festive food of the Winter Solstice and Lantern Festival; the time-honored house Gangyagou carried their fame far and wide, and the dish was named a "Famous Chinese Snack" in 1997.

Usually eaten hot, the dumplings are ladled into a bowl with their broth and bitten while warm so the molten sesame-and-lard center flows out; families especially gather over them at the Winter Solstice and Lantern Festival.

A chewy yet non-sticky skin and a glossy, oil-rich filling, sweet with a savory edge, make it the taste of home for Ningbo natives.