Blowing Water | How mistresses turn seasonal soups into culinary weapons of seduction
As the longest night of the year draws near, Luisa Tam explains why there’s nothing simple about a bowl of broth at the dining table
Here comes the Winter Solstice (dung ji in Cantonese), which marks the day with the longest night of the year. This important Chinese festival, which falls on December 22 this year, signifies one of the 24 solar terms on the Chinese lunar calendar, which used to guide farmers in agricultural production by indicating different periods of seasons.
It’s not a public holiday in Hong Kong, but at work, just about every local Chinese colleague will disappear in the afternoon to rush home and get ready for a big family reunion dinner. According to Chinese custom, dung ji is also the day when everyone becomes one year older.
I don’t have my family here to spend the evening with, but I love this festival because of the abundant supply of tong yuen, a seasonal dessert made of glutinous rice balls with a sweet sesame filling.
We eat tong yuen because their round shape symbolises harmony, reunion and satiety. As for children, they are often told by their parents or older relatives to eat these sticky rice balls because this (apparently) makes them more obedient. However, since they are so delicious, I don’t think any child would need to be coerced into gobbling them up. I was a hyperactive child, so you can imagine how many tong yuen I snacked on while growing up.
Rice cake recipes: warming dishes to chew over in chilly Hong Kong
The symbolism of Chinese food plays a significant role in its culinary tradition. As a rule of thumb, you can’t go wrong with eating anything that’s round because it represents oneness, unity and perfection.
