Have a sweet Winter Solstice with FairPrice's tang yuan
Mark the shortest day of the year with quick and easy-to-prepare meals from FairPrice
Winter Solstice, one of the important festivals celebrated by Chinese people around the world, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Its origins can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. This year's Winter Solstice falls on Saturday.
During the festival, families in southern China and in Chinese communities overseas gather to make and eat the traditional tang yuan (glutinous rice ball), which symbolises reunion.
In northern China, people typically eat dumplings during the festival, which is said to have originated in the Han Dynasty (206BC to AD220).
During a cold winter, a renowned Chinese physician, Zhang Zhongjing, saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears.
According to the legend, the kind doctor ordered his apprentices to make ear-shaped dumplings using lamb and other ingredients, and to distribute them among the poor to keep them warm.
But you do not have to wait till you are cold to enjoy dumplings in the comfort of your home.
Get a head start for this Saturday's festivities at FairPrice, which offers the convenience of ready-made festive food.
Feed your loved ones with the tasty, halal-certified FairPrice Housebrand Frozen Whole Shrimp Wonton 144g ($4.30 for 12 pieces), which are made with whole shrimp and are free of trans fat and colouring.
For those who want a meatless option, try the FairPrice Housebrand Frozen Dumplings Vegetable/Chive 675g ($6.55) from South Korea, which are trans fat-free and can be prepared in a variety of ways, incluing steaming, pan frying and deep frying.
GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS
Save yourself the hassle of making your own tang yuan from scratch with FairPrice Housebrand's Frozen Glutinous Rice Balls 200g ($1.85 for 10 pieces).
The chewy halal-certified rice balls come with three delicious sweet and savoury fillings - red bean, sesame and crunchy peanut - making them suitable for all tastebuds.
Cholesterol and trans fat-free, they are perfect for a healthy snack.
The FairPrice Housebrand Frozen Glutinous Rice Balls, Frozen Dumplings Vegetable/Chive and Frozen Whole Shrimp Wonton are available at FairPrice stores islandwide as well as online (www.fairpriceon.com.sg).
Brought to you by FairPrice
Recipe for sweet soup (tang yuan)
SERVES FOUR
INGREDIENTS
- 2 packs of FairPrice Housebrand Frozen Glutinous Rice Balls
- 1 inch ginger (peeled and smashed)
- 2 pandan leaves (shredded and knotted)
- 110g sugar
- 480ml water
METHOD
1. Combine 480ml of water, ginger, pandan leaves and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Bring it to a boil.
3. Add the FairPrice Housebrand Frozen Glutinous Rice Balls into the soup and stir gently.
4. Wait for it to boil and cook until rice balls float.
5. Serve hot.
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