Lotus Root Starch Balls 藕粉圆子
Lotus Root Starch Balls is featured among the local specialties of Jiangsu.
Lotus Root Starch Balls (藕粉圆子) are round dumplings made with lotus-root starch, a speciality of Baoying county (宝应) in Yangzhou (扬州), Jiangsu, eaten both as a snack and as a dish at the table.
Ingredients
Red-bud lotus root (hongya ou, 红芽藕) stands out as a raw material for the balls because of its high starch content; the lotus-root starch made from it is fine-textured and very sticky. The red-bud roots of Xi'anfeng town (西安丰镇) come to market in winter.
The fillings vary. Sweet ones usually include sesame, peanut and sugar, and there are savoury versions with shepherd's purse (jicai, 荠菜) or preserved mustard greens (meicai, 梅菜).
How it is made
Shao Lianyun (邵连云), a national-level master chef and heritage bearer of Baoying's all-lotus banquet (全藕宴), explains the key step: the balls are scalded in hot water and then plunged into cold, so the starch gelatinises. That turns them springy and soft, smooth and tender with a chew.
How it is eaten
Their round shape stands for reunion and completeness, and they are made and eaten at family-reunion festivals such as Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, as a wish for a harmonious and happy home.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-25. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.