In Taiyuan, northern China, osmanthus-flavoured yuanxiao — glutinous rice balls traditionally eaten during the Chinese New Year — are an indispensable treat. With a history stretching back more than two millennia, these sweet dumplings are widely regarded as a northern representative of the yuanxiao tradition.

Made from rice or glutinous rice flour, the filling blends walnuts, sesame seeds, and osmanthus paste, among other ingredients. The nuts and seeds are first roasted and then crushed before being combined into a paste; the soaked rice is stone-milled to give the outer layer a soft, springy texture that does not stick to the teeth. The most demanding step is the “six-dip, six-roll” forming process: each ball is quickly dipped in water, rolled in rice flour, and the routine is repeated six times until the dumpling develops even layers and reaches the desired size.

Snow-white and round like the moon, each yuanxiao symbolises family reunion and good fortune. Eating them during the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival is both a culinary pleasure and a ritual expressing hopes for a prosperous year.