Sì (dessert) facts for kids

Sì (𥻵)

Sì (pronounced like "see" with a rising and falling tone) is a special round dessert from Fuzhou, a city in Fujian Province, China. It's a traditional treat made from glutinous rice. People usually eat Sì to celebrate the Winter Solstice festival.

Unlike some other similar desserts, Sì usually doesn't have a filling inside. To make Sì, glutinous rice is first ground into a fine powder. This powder is then pressed until it's almost dry. After that, the dry powder is rolled into small, round balls. Finally, these rice balls are covered with a mix of fried (sometimes even a little burnt) soybean powder and brown sugar.

The word "𥻵" (Sì) sounds exactly like the word for "time" or "fortune" in the Fuzhou dialect of Chinese. There's a famous Chinese saying, a chengyu, that means "time comes, fortune turns." In Fuzhou, this saying sounds very similar to "when Sì comes, fortune turns." Because of this fun wordplay, many people in Fuzhou believe that eating Sì can bring them good luck and fortune!

Folk Rhyme About Sì

People in Fuzhou have a traditional rhyme about making Sì. It's a sweet little song that talks about family and the process of making these delicious treats.