Ai Wo Wo (Beijing Glutinous Rice Balls)
A traditional Beijing pastry popular in spring and autumn, with a long history. It features a glutinous rice exterior encasing assorted fruit fillings and has a snow-white color.
Ingredients
glutinous rice (rinsed clean, soaked in cold water)
2.225 kg
rice flour (steamed and cooled)
250 g
green plums (cut into mung bean–sized dice)
150 g
sesame seeds (toasted over low heat until golden, then crushed)
500 g
walnut kernels (toasted over low heat until crisp, peeled, cut into soybean–sized dice)
100 g
melon seeds (rinsed and toasted)
50 g
hawthorn cake (cut into soybean–sized dice)
250 g
rock sugar (crushed)
150 g
sugared osmanthus
50 g
granulated sugar
1 kg
Instructions
1
Step 1
Rinse the glutinous rice clean and soak it in cold water for 6 hours. Drain well, then steam over rapidly boiling water in a steamer for 1 hour. Transfer to a bowl, pour in 2 kg of boiling water, cover the bowl, and let soak for 15 minutes so the rice fully absorbs the moisture (a step traditionally called "eating the slurry").
2
Step 2
Scoop the rice back into the steamer basket and steam for another 30 minutes. Remove, place in a basin, and pound into a smooth dough. Spread it out on a damp cloth and let cool.
3
Step 3
Toast the walnut kernels over low heat until crisp, rub off the skins, and cut into soybean–sized dice. Toast the sesame seeds over low heat until golden and crush them. Rinse and toast the melon seeds. Cut the green plums into mung bean–sized dice. Cut the hawthorn cake into soybean–sized dice and set aside. Combine all of these ingredients with the granulated sugar, crushed rock sugar, and sugared osmanthus, then mix well to make the filling.
4
Step 4
Spread the steamed and cooled rice flour evenly over a work surface, place the glutinous rice dough on top, and knead them together until smooth. Pinch off 100 small portions, press each into a round wrapper, place 22 g of filling in the center of each, and wrap into round balls to finish.
