Pearl meatballs

For the traditional Chinese ball game, see Pearl ball.

Pearl meatballs, also called pearl balls (Chinese: 珍珠丸子; pinyin: zhēnzhū wánzi) or glutinous rice balls (Chinese: 糯米丸子; pinyin: nuòmǐ wánzi), are traditional Chinese meatballs from Hubei and Hunan. They are usually made of ground pork and vegetables, then covered in glutinous rice and steamed.

Pearl meatballs

Pearl meatballs in a bamboo steamer
Course	Dim sum
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Hubei, Hunan
Main ingredients	Ground pork, glutinous rice, vegetables, starch
Media: Pearl meatballs

Pearl meatballs
Traditional Chinese	珍珠丸子
Simplified Chinese	珍珠丸子
Literal meaning	pearl ball
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin zhēnzhū wánzi

Historically, pearl meatballs were eaten on festive occasions like birthdays or Chinese New Year, but is now served casually, such as in dim sum. Pearl balls are a part of Mianyang Sanzheng ("The Three Steamed Dishes of Mianyang"), a famous dish in Hubei cuisine.

Preparation

Pearl meatballs are made with ground pork, mixed with sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, pepper, diced vegetables, and starch or egg white for thickening. The most commonly used vegetables include ginger, water chestnut, scallions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and lotus root.

The meat mixture is formed into balls, then rolled and coated in glutinous rice, which is soaked beforehand but not cooked. The balls are then steamed and served in bamboo steamers.

Gallery

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  Mianyang Sanzheng, a specialty in Hubei cuisine that contains pearl meatballs

See also

• Dim sum
• Lion's head
• Steamed meatball
• Meatball