…I wish there were a more sexier way of translating tang yuan (汤圆).

But, the balls are freakin delicious – both savory and sweet versions.

The only traditional Chinese dish I can make is the black sesame-filled glutinous rice balls. The fact that my folks request it means that they are indeed delicious.

I started making them because all the ones in the stores are imported from China and, as a family, we try and avoid food stuffs from the mainland just because they don’t have a good rep in terms of food safety. Look, I could be wrong, but here we are.

Anyhow, I decided to make some fun illustrations with my food photography in celebration.