Dongzhi/Winter Solstice Festival

Guess what I am eating?

Words that come from the heart stay warm three winters long.
~ Chinese Proverb

换言之，来自心留暖三冬长。
〜中国谚语

(Translated using Google)

So busy blogging about Christmas that I forgot about the other festival which is celebrated by Chinese communities - Donghzi or Winter Solstice festival - until my mother told me about it. Traditionally, Dongzhi is a time for families to get together. One of the activities that occurs during this get-together is the making and eating of tang yuan or glutinous rice balls (for the southern parts of China), which symbolize reunion. There are different ways of making tang yuan - it can be plain or stuffed, and sometimes brightly colored. In the northern parts, people typically eat dumplings (like gyoza) instead.

Glutinous rice balls or Tang Yuan

So I googled Internet for recipe and got one from chowtimes (Thank Google for everything!). Next, I sped off to our local Vietnamese supermarket to get the glutinous rice flour and a packet of black sesame powder. Together with Amy and Zoey (for messing up), we made nine tang yuan in about an hour.

It's true, you know, making tang yuan is a good way to get-together and get connected. Otherwise, everybody will be doing their own business - I'll be blogging like now, Amy would be dozing somewhere and Zoey would be talking to herself.

So delicious...

Amy's whole family is with us for this Christmas holidays. So, celebrating Dongzhi festival is a meaningful affair as well.

Also, for our Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya.....aiyah, no satay ah?