Eating four-color glutinous rice balls is “so comforting” – Hotel offers Lantern Festival warmth

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

On a cold day, nothing beats a warm, not overly sweet bowl of glutinous rice balls. Hotel operators have launched “Four-Color Glutinous Rice Balls,” combining four flavors: matcha, red bean, original, and raindrop stone (a colorful variety blending red, white, and green), merging innovation with tradition.

 
▲ The four-color glutinous rice balls balance health and aesthetics. (Photo / Provided by Fuhang Hotel)

From now until the Lantern Festival (February 24), Fuhang Taipei offers takeout sweet wine glutinous rice balls, 12 pieces per box, with all four flavors priced at NT$360, and includes sweet wine and orange segments. Chef Liu Yijia of Jiangnan Chun said the health-focused sweet wine glutinous rice balls are handmade using an exclusive recipe. Even when frozen, the outer layer won’t crack, helping maintain their shape during cooking and perfectly showcasing their flavor. In response to modern dietary trends favoring wellness, the sugar content has been reduced by 20%, resulting in lower overall calories.

The difference between glutinous rice balls, tangyuan, and yuanxiao is “kneading for balls, wrapping for tangyuan, and rolling for yuanxiao.” Glutinous rice balls are unfilled and hand-kneaded; tangyuan are filled, hand-wrapped, then rolled into shape; yuanxiao are made by repeatedly rolling in a bamboo basket. This shows how kneading techniques and the delicacy of filling wrapping determine the perfection of tangyuan. The soup, enhanced with sweet wine and orange segments, along with a touch of egg flower, delivers a sweet and tangy, refreshing taste that not only satisfies the palate but also brings a hint of warmth to the body and soul during the cold winter.