Glutinous Rice Meatballs

Glutinous Rice Meatballs

　　Glutinous Rice Meatballs are a distinctive delicacy and a famous dish from Tangqi. Once steamed, the glutinous rice grains stand upright, and the rich meat juices are sealed tightly within the meatball, making it incredibly juicy. Not only is the outer layer coated with glutinous rice, but the meat itself also contains bits of rice, resulting in a bouncy texture and exceptional flavor.

　　Legend has it that Glutinous Rice Meatballs have some connection to Emperor Qianlong. When the emperor traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he found the scenery in Tangqi particularly pleasant and was reluctant to leave. As a result, he ordered the construction of the Qianlong Temporary Palace at Xihengtou in Tangqi, where he would stay for ten days or even half a month during each southern tour. One time, a chef surnamed Wang, while preparing a dish for Emperor Qianlong, accidentally dropped a meatball intended for lion’s head stew into a basket of wet glutinous rice. With no other options, the chef decided to make the best of the mistake and rolled all the meatballs in the glutinous rice before steaming them. This resulted in an entirely new kind of meatball. Emperor Qianlong loved it and kept praising it, asking what the dish was called. The chef, noticing how the glutinous rice grains stood upright on the meatballs like bristles, casually replied, "Bristled Meatballs." And so, Glutinous Rice Meatballs have been passed down through the generations ever since.