Gui Hua Jiu Niang Tang Yuan 桂花酒酿汤圆

Happy Dong Zhi! Today, we had tang yuan in two styles. There is the usual tang yuan in brown sugar syrup and this: tang yuan with jiu niang, a kind of fermented glutinous rice popular in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang region of China.

I first tasted jiu niang tang yuan in Shanghai. The winey rice grains and chewy tang yuan in a hot, sugary broth served with a dollop of osmanthus syrup 桂花酱 was perfect to warm the body on a freezing winter day.

A few months ago my aunt had sent me some wine yeast so that I can make my own jiu niang. This first attempt was not very successful as the rice mixture had over ferment. It was edible but the texture was not quite right. I will need to try a few more methods before posting a workable recipe.   

While the jiu niang did not turn out that well, the homemade osmanthus syrup was a hit. The floral, apricot scented sweetener is a delicious addition to jiu niang, tea and even yogurt.

Osmanthus Syrup

Ingredients:

Dried osmanthus
Sugar
Salt
Honey

Method:

Soak osmanthus to rehydrate. Add sugar to some water and bring to a boil. Add the osmanthus and a pinch of salt to the sugar solution. Reduce the mixture to a syrup on low heat. You can also add honey to thicken the syrup. Let cool and keep the syrup in a clean glass bottle. Leave for a few days before using.

Comments

[tigerfish]

Did not even know it's Dong Zhi today, but it was supposed to be winter solstice here in the US on 21/22dec.

I've had 桂花酒酿汤圆 before in pudong kitchen, singapore. Think it's an acquired taste.

[Rasa Malaysia]

I absolutely love this 桂花酒酿汤圆, the 桂花 makes it very aromatic.

[ulterior epicure]

Great to have found you! I love jiu niang! I've made it at home, and it's decent... but not quite sweet enough!

[ST]

Hi ulterior epicure, the jiu niang not being sweet enough can be due to the type of wine yeast used. If possible, get the ones from Su Zhou.

[Lyli]

This is one of my favorite desserts. My mom makes great jiu niang, which is also yummy with slices of rice cake.

[jacuquie]

where does a person find osmanthus flowers to buy in bulk?
JP
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