It’s always exciting going to a wedding reception – having a blast with the newly weds and enjoying the food and wine.
Recently I’ve been to one wedding reception held at Ambassador Hotel in Taipei. The hotel is well-known for its exquisite Cantonese cuisine, including my favourite suckling pig. There were 12 courses, and many guests were full after 7 or 8. The menu format is very straightforward – arrays of appetizers, deep fried rice balls, varieties of hot dishes, savory and sweet petite fours, and fruits.
Deep fried rice balls? Huh? What’s so special about it? First of all this dish has a pretty name – Hua Hao Yue Yuan (花好月圓). It means blooming flowers and full moon, which is perfect for conjugal bliss. You can always raise the bar to this simple sweet and chewy rice balls by adding other ingredients that contain hidden meanings. In this particular version of deep fried rice balls I’ve had, there are two more ingredients – taro balls and red dates. Taro means the groom will get a good job and the bride will be pregnant soon while red dates represents the newly wed will have a first-born son as soon as possible.
All the ingredients are deep fried, sprinkled with peanut powder, and nicely laid in a tulip nest. Next to it is the Double Happiness which is a symbol of marriage and love. This dish is served after the appetizers and all the guests are very happy to eat it as they can all feel the happiness and love from the newly weds. ❤
Judy Food Foto Connex 