2. Tangyuan and yuanxiao. [Photo/VCG]

Tangyuan, glutinous rice balls stuffed with a sweet or salty filling, is not exclusive to the Lantern Festival. It is a food for the winter solstice or any occasion of a family reunion. Nowadays, tangyuan often come in rainbow-like colors and are filled with many flavors, such as fruit preserves.

Yuanxiao from northern China is actually made quite differently. Instead of wrapping the filling inside the dough, you need to roll the diced filling in the flour until they turn into white pellets.