Winter Solstice

Today is Dong Zhi (literally ‘arrival of winter’) and families gather to give thanks for a good year, and celebrate it by eating tang yuan. These rice flour balls have stuffings such as sesame seed or red bean paste, and are served in a clear soup typically made of sugar and water, and seasoned with pandan leaves and ginger.

The word ‘tang’ (meaning ‘soup’) sounds like ‘tuan’ (meaning ‘reunion’); ‘yuan’ means ‘round’, and in the phrase ‘yuan man,’ means ‘complete’. Tang yuan thus signifies unity and prosperity for the family.

Managed to eat some tang yuan during din at Crystal Jade before catching the movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'.

The 'stars' of the Day....