#ginger broth

In the Name of the Moon !

Serving: 1

3 tang yuan (sesame rice balls)

3 ounces hot ginger broth (see Editor’s Note)

1 ounce brandy or whiskey

2 dashes Chinese licorice root tincture (see Editor’s Note)

Garnish: edible flowers, toasted black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Heat tang yuan in boiling water until they float. Transfer to a small bowl.

In a separate container, combine hot ginger broth, brandy or whiskey, and licorice root tincture. Stir briefly, then pour over tang yuan.

Garnish with edible flowers and, if desired, toasted sesame seeds.

Editor’s Note:

Chinese Licorice Root Tincture: Infuse 4 ounces neutral grain spirit with 1/2 cup sliced Chinese licorice root for at least 24 hours. Strain and decant into a dropper bottle. Hot Ginger Broth: Heat 2 cups of water with 1 1/2 ounces brown slab sugar cane (half of one piece), 1/4 cup sliced ginger, and a pinch of salt. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Strain out the ginger. Yeung notes the finished broth should be “nice and spicy” from the ginger, but feel free to adjust the amount of ginger to taste.

Courtesy of Sharon Yeung | Seattle

Photo: Lizzie Munro

I made veggie "stock" then whipped up some soup for my cold.

I created the stock using celery, carrot, kale stems, swiss chard stems, bay leaf, garlic powder mix, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh ginger.

I cooked for 40 mins then strained. I put broth back in added some ginger powder and a little bit of salt. Put in shredded carrot, swiss chard, and a little bit of tofu.

We've tried making these things for a birthday party once in Christchurch. Sure enough there were some strange looks from the crowd that couldn't figure out what they were. Some have affectionately dubbed them "eyeballs".

But we are really talking about is Tang Yuen. Here, it's a sweet sesame seed paste dessert filled within a skin made out of glutinous rice flour. It is served swimming within a sweet ginger broth. This is most popular during Chinese New Year as eating them symbolises family togetherness.

On the side, Mua Chi is strips of glutinous rice cake rolled within a ground peanut dip and then enjoyed. Something tells me that it might somewhat related to Mochi, a Japanese variant that infuses the rice flour with green tea, sesame seeds, etc. Mochi does resemble Tang Yuen more closely than Mua Chi except that it is not served in a broth.