Chinese · dessert

Tangyuan (汤圆)

Tangyuan (汤圆) reads sweetness 7.3, richness 5.2 and allium 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese dessert, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 1.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 7.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 7.3 · Richness 5.2 · Allium 4.0 · Nutty 3.4 · Warm Spice 3.0 · Floral 1.8 · Umami 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.2 · Earthy 0.9 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (8)

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup black sesame paste
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp lard
• 4 cups water
• 2 oz rock sugar
• 4 slices fresh ginger

Time & effort: about 45 min (35 min active) · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 140 kcal, 2.5 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 18.2 g carbs

How it's cooked (3 steps)

1. Mix black sesame, sugar, and lard into a thick paste and freeze into small balls.
2. Knead glutinous rice flour with water into a pliable dough, wrap each sesame ball inside, and roll into smooth spheres.
3. Simmer in a pot of sweetened ginger water until they float.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sikhye (식혜) — Korean
• Gingerbread Cookies (Pepparkakor) — Scandinavian
• Sweet Potato Pie — Southern
• Halva (Irmik Helvasi) — Turkish
• Halim — Persian

Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.