Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, are they the same？
The following article comes from the scientific rumor, written by Xue Qingxin.
Science dispels rumors.
Sponsored by China Association for Science and Technology, Health and Wellness Committee, Emergency Management Department, General Administration of Market Supervision and other ministries and commissions, guided by the Central Network Information Office, and jointly created by national societies, authoritative media, social institutions and scientific and technological workers.
On the Lantern Festival, there are traditional customs of burning lanterns to offer sacrifices to Buddha, enjoying lanterns, dancing lions, solve riddles on the lanterns and eating glutinous rice balls. However, many people still don’t know clearly: Are glutinous rice balls and glutinous rice balls the same? What is the difference? Today we will talk about the difference between the two and how to eat healthier.
01
What’s the difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan?
Although Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are both round and eaten on the fifteenth day of the first month, they are not the same thing. The difference is:
▲ Figure worm creativity
Practice: Yuanxiao is "rolled out" and glutinous rice balls are "wrapped". The traditional practice of Yuanxiao is based on stuffing. First, fix the stuffing, then put the stuffing on a sieve with a lot of glutinous rice flour and roll it around … until it becomes a ball covered with glutinous rice flour. The glutinous rice dumplings are made with glutinous rice skin first, and then the stuffing is wrapped in it.
▲ Figure worm creativity
(2) Cooking: Under normal circumstances, Yuanxiao is steamed or fried too much (if it needs to be cooked, it will take a long time and the soup will be turbid), and the dumplings are mostly cooked.
③ Taste: Yuanxiao tastes hard, while Tangyuan tastes soft.
④ Storage method: Tangyuan can be frozen for a long time, but Yuanxiao can’t. Yuanxiao is usually made and sold now, because it is easy to crack if it is frozen.
02
Is glutinous rice balls easy to digest or difficult to digest?
Glutinous rice will be used to make glutinous rice balls. Many people think that glutinous rice is sticky and difficult to digest, which is really a little misunderstanding.
The starch structure of white rice flour is amylose, while more than 99% of glutinous rice is amylopectin, which is more branched in structure and easier to gelatinize. When people digest starch, they hydrolyze it from the molecular end, while amylopectin is more easily hydrolyzed and digested because of many branches.
Therefore, compared with the rice flour we usually eat, the glycemic index of glutinous rice is also faster. The GI of rice is 82, while that of glutinous rice is 87. People think that glutinous rice is difficult to digest, probably because foods that use glutinous rice, such as glutinous rice balls, Yuanxiao and Babao rice, often add a lot of sugar and fat at the same time, giving people a feeling of "greasy".
▲ Schematic diagram of the difference between amylose (left) and amylopectin (right) |
In a word, warm glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao are easy to digest. However, if you wait until the dumplings/Yuanxiao are cold before eating, not only will the texture become hard, it will be more difficult to chew, but it will also increase the difficulty of digestion, and acid reflux and heartburn may occur.
03
Is sugar-free healthier?
The appearance of "sugar-free glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao" in the market is the "focus" that diabetics and weight-loss partners pay attention to, thinking that eating it can not only worry about the rise of blood sugar, but also gain weight without excessive intake of sugar, so eating it is often unscrupulous.
In fact, even "sugar-free dumplings/Yuanxiao" doesn’t mean it’s healthier! For example, the xylitol peanut glutinous rice balls shown below are sugar-free, but xylitol is used instead of the added sugar in the stuffing, but the calories, fat and carbohydrate are not low.
For example, 100 grams of glutinous rice balls (about 8) is equivalent to 2.5 small bowls of cooked rice. And will eat 14.4 grams of fat, accounting for almost half of the daily fat intake recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for China Residents.
Xylitol Peanut Tangyuan | Photo courtesy of the author
In addition, although xylitol has little effect on postprandial blood sugar, after all, glutinous rice flour is the main raw material of glutinous rice dumplings and Yuanxiao, and the overall carbohydrate and fat content have not decreased much. Eating too much will still cause relatively large postprandial blood sugar fluctuations, which will also lead to excessive calorie intake and increase the risk of obesity.
Therefore, even the "sugar-free dumplings/Yuanxiao" may not be very healthy, but you should eat it slowly.
04
Clever collocation can make you eat healthily.
Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are also proper staple foods. Although they are not big, they are not low in calories. To slow down postprandial blood sugar and control weight, the most important thing is to learn to match.
① Reduce the staple food: Tangyuan/Yuanxiao is the staple food, so this meal should reduce the intake of other rice noodles, or if you don’t eat other rice noodles, you should take Tangyuan or Yuanxiao as the staple food and eat a few less. It is recommended to control it to 4~5, which is equivalent to the heat of 1~1.5 bowls of rice.
2 increase vegetables: vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which can enhance satiety, promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, and delay postprandial blood sugar. It is suggested that you can eat 1.5~2 fists of cooked green leafy vegetables per meal.
▲ Figure worm creativity
③ protein should not be less: moderate intake of protein can also delay postprandial blood sugar. Eating eggs, meat, fish, shrimp and bean products together with staple food can reduce postprandial blood sugar reaction. For example, the GI of white rice is 82, but the GI of rice+fish is only 37; The GI of steamed bread is 88, but the GI of steamed bread+sauce beef is only 49. [1]
In addition to paying attention to the above collocation in diet, you should also pay attention to the selection of glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao: try to choose the one with low calorie and fat content, and it is best not to contain lard in the ingredient list.
This is because some studies have shown that after adding lard, the time for the blood sugar of glutinous rice to rise to the peak after a meal will be delayed, and the peak blood sugar will still be high, while higher fat will also reduce the blood sugar control ability of the next meal. And the results of animal experiments show that excessive lard may promote insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. [2]
05
These five types of people should pay attention to eating glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao.
① People with three highs must eat less: blood sugar is higher after meals.
② People who lose weight should eat less: Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are not low in calories.
3 Old people and children should eat less: avoid increasing the burden of digestion.
④ It is best for infants under 3 years old not to eat: even if the skin is not hot, the temperature of the stuffing is high, which is easy to burn, and sticky glutinous rice is easy to choke and there is a risk of suffocation.
5 people with gastrointestinal discomfort and poor digestive ability should eat less: avoid gastrointestinal discomfort.
Summary:
Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are not a kind of food. No matter which one you eat, you must control the amount. Lantern Festival, the moon, and the fifteenth day of the first month are round and round! Although Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are delicious, be careful that if you eat too much, it will become a "round pier"! I wish you all a happy Lantern Festival! (Xue Qingxin, member of China Nutrition Society, registered nutrition technician, health manager, public nutritionist)
References:
[1] Yang Yuexin China Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1 [M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018.
[2] Mao Xuanxia, Shen Xinnan, Xie Ruining, et al. Effects of different dietary fats on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in rats [C]// Shanghai Cereals and Oils Science and Technology Symposium, Shanghai Cereals and Oils Society Annual Meeting .2004
Source: scientific rumors
Original title: "Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, are they the same? 》
