追元宵2.0

Discovering and Celebrating “Yuan Xiao”

去(109)年曾將元宵比喻為《未來鑽石》，有別於平常我們所熟知的湯圓。為了讓去年剛來到台灣的國外同學友人入境隨俗，了解台灣飲食文化，寫下「追元宵2.0」，讓他們也知道在春節尾聲的元宵夜(110.2.26)吃過元宵，才算過完年。

不僅對外國人，即使國內年輕的同學、朋友亦少有人知道，元宵節的代表美食「元宵」和平常在超市所看到的湯圓是不同的。湯圓是先製成黏性的糯米粉團，再直接手捏而成，猶如製造業的鑄造，一體成形。而元宵則如3D粉末列印，用手搖笸籮，一層一層將糯米粉裹上所要的“餡”而成。(詳細製作過程，請閱《未來鑽石》一文及文後影片)

五、六十年代，讀國小時，受到秀貞曼姑(屘姑)的影響，每年元宵節必買元宵，追元宵。最早，在台中第二市場的伍中行，經追查目前已到了第六代，但早已移居台北衡陽路，也不做元宵了。

至年長，由我接棒，帶著妹妹（《追元宵1.0》)追到有五十年歷史的新東陽，後來隨著新東陽轉移元宵陣地到台北，台中人只有仰賴七十年老店沁園春，一直到最近十幾年來，才又發現大遠百陳記元宵。

延續去年，今年又在台中大遠百，擴大採訪了多年來一直參與陳記元宵行銷的逢甲環境工程與科學學系學生，如照片與影片。

《影片1: 陳記老闆親自表演》；《影片2》；《影片3》。

Bilingual written for international students in Taiwan

The Lunar New Year celebrations traditionally last for two weeks until lunar January 15 (it is 2/26 this year, 2021), the Lantern Festival marking the end of Spring Festival.

For a foreigner, even most Taiwanese, there might be few having any ideas about the difference between “Yuan Xiao” and “Tang Yuan”. They are both in English called BIG glutinous rice balls with filling in them. As for the small ones with no filling, they are one traditional food made for the festivals all year round in Taiwan and becoming a common dessert in our daily lives.

However, what’s conveniently available in the supermarket, whether big or small, is Tang Yuan rather than Yuan Xiao that is only once a year particularly offered after around lunar January 5 till the Lantern Festival.

Taking advantage of celebrating the special Lantern festivals, I’d like to wish the foreign students studying in Taiwan could sample the corresponding seasonal gourmet food.

What is the difference between “Yuan Xiao” and “Tang Yuan”? From the manufacturing perspective, Tang Yuan is made by “integral casting” using glutinous rice dough, which is distinct to Yuan Xiao that is produced using “glutinous rice powder” through the process like 3D powder printing.

The pictures and videos were taken in Top City Department Store in Taichung, demonstrating the producing process of “Chen-Ji Yuan Xiao” by students of Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Feng-Jia University.

《video1》；《video2》；《video3》。