Tiny solid glutinous rice balls simmered in sweet fermented rice wine with dried osmanthus — Shanghai's most ethereal cold-season dessert soup, all cloudy sweetness and delicate floral perfume.
Fermented glutinous rice wine (醪糟/酒酿) has deep roots in Jiangnan home cooking, with the fermentation technique traceable to the Han dynasty. The pairing of fermented rice wine with tiny unfilled glutinous rice balls (小圆子) became a staple of Shanghai tea houses and dim sum shops during the Republican era, most prominently at Qiaojiazha Food House — founded in 1909 as Yongmaochang Tangyuan Shop and celebrated as the 'King of Tangyuan.' Dried osmanthus, gathered in autumn across Jiangnan and preserved in sugar, has long been used as a culinary flavoring; its addition transforms an everyday sweet soup into a seasonal ritual. The fermented rice wine preparation technique was recognized as a Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024 by both Pudong New District and Chongming District.
A bowl of gentle, cloudy warmth: the fermented rice wine base is sweet and slightly tangy, almost milky; tiny glutinous balls bob through it like soft pearls, elastic and yielding; dried osmanthus threads release a faint apricot-like floral perfume that lingers on the breath.
Fermented glutinous rice wine (醪糟) contains 2–5% alcohol, residual sugars (glucose and maltose from saccharified starch), and organic acids produced by lactic acid bacteria — primarily lactic acid and acetic acid — together building its characteristic sweet-sour wine profile. Dried osmanthus releases its key aromatic compounds — linalool and ionone-type molecules, especially dihydro-β-ionone — into the hot broth as lipid-soluble volatiles dissolve into the liquid phase, contributing an apricot-peach floral note. The tiny unfilled glutinous balls (~1 cm diameter), composed of nearly pure amylopectin, gelatinize fully and evenly during boiling; their floating to the surface signals that the starch at the center has completely hydrated and gelled.
Variations
A beaten egg stirred in at the end (水铺蛋) is a common addition, creating silky egg ribbons in the broth. Some Shanghai variations include dried longan (桂圆) alongside osmanthus for deeper sweetness. The fermented rice wine can be added entirely off the heat to preserve its delicate flavor and beneficial microorganisms.
On the Palate
Where Osmanthus Sweet Rice Wine with Tiny Glutinous Balls sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 115 min
Make tiny glutinous rice balls: mix glutinous rice flour with cold water; knead into a smooth dough; roll into thin ropes and cut into 1 cm pieces; roll each piece into a smooth ball.
- 23 min
Bring 400 ml of water to a boil in a small pot; add fermented glutinous rice wine and stir to combine; bring to a gentle simmer.
- 35 min
Add the tiny balls and cook over medium heat until all float to the surface, about 4–5 minutes.
Watch outCook the little balls until they all float to the surface, 4–5 minutes — that's the sign the amylopectin cores are fully cooked and chewy through.
- 42 min
Add rock sugar and dried osmanthus; stir gently and simmer 1 minute until fragrant.
- 52 min
Optional egg ribbons: beat one egg; remove pot from heat momentarily; drizzle egg in thin streams while stirring slowly to form delicate egg ribbons; return to low heat for 30 seconds.
Watch outFor egg ribbons, pull the pot off the heat and drizzle the egg in thin streams while stirring — pour into a rolling boil and it clumps instead of feathering.
- 61 min
Ladle into small bowls, distributing balls and osmanthus evenly; serve hot.
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