Taipei Winter Solstice Tangyuan Festival: Five Elements Lucky Tangyuan Brings Happiness to Your Table

By MOOK Travel Life Network, compiled and reported by Li Xinyi

 

With the Winter Solstice approaching, Taipei City is holding the “Winter Solstice Lucky Tangyuan Festival” in the Daqiaotou Yansan Business District. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. on December 15 (Saturday) at Lane 149, Section 2, Dihua Street. Aside from health-conscious tangyuan inspired by the Five Elements, the festival will also feature activities such as tangyuan fortune-telling and DIY tangyuan making experiences.

 

Taipei City Department of Commerce Director Huang Yi-yu noted that the Daqiaotou Yansan Business District has long been a hub of Taipei’s rice-based food culture. Thanks to the area’s abundant rice production, residents have developed a variety of rice products such as tangyuan, red turtle cakes, fried dough twists, and more, showcasing rich culinary diversity. This year’s Winter Solstice event will be one of the most vibrant yet. Aside from an array of tangyuan, the event will also offer fresh produce and other local goods for purchase. Additionally, there will be DIY tangyuan activities where participants can enjoy the fun of making their own. Furthermore, Mackay Memorial Hospital within the district will host a lecture titled “How to Eat Tangyuan Healthily and Stay Slim,” teaching the public how to enjoy tangyuan in a healthy way.

To celebrate this year’s Winter Solstice Lucky Tangyuan Festival, businesses and master chefs in the Daqiaotou Yansan Business District have followed traditional methods to create Five Elements Lucky Tangyuan that are delicious in both flavor and appearance. Chen Ying-hui, chairperson of the Taipei Daqiaotou Yansan Business District Development Promotion Association, explained that these tangyuan are made entirely from healthy, natural ingredients, emphasizing handmade, natural production without any artificial coloring. The fillings include lotus seed paste (metal), mung bean (wood), black sesame (water), red bean (fire), and peanut (earth), while the dough is colored with natural ingredients like red beans, matcha, pumpkin, and black sesame, infusing each tangyuan with blessings.

Wishing for good luck in 2013 as the year draws to a close? Sign up now for the Lucky Tangyuan DIY experience. A box of 10 tangyuan is just NT$35, or get a special deal of 3 boxes for NT$100 while supplies last. Traditional classic tangyuan are also available at NT$35 per box of 10, or 3 boxes for NT$100 with the same special offer. Phone orders are accepted three days before the event for pickup on-site. For details, call 02-8771-7768 or 02-2585-3129.

 

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