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1
Combine the ground toasted black sesame seeds, icing sugar, and melted lard. Mix until fully combined into a uniform paste. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, then portion into balls of 10 g each. The filling is ready when it holds its shape without crumbling or spreading.
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2
Place the glutinous rice flour in a bowl. Add warm water gradually, beginning with 120 ml, and knead until a smooth, pliable dough forms. If the dough tears when gently stretched, add water by the teaspoon; if it adheres to the hands, work in a little more flour. The dough is ready when it is soft, non-sticky, and holds a clean stretch without tearing.
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3
Divide the dough into portions of approximately 20 g each. Flatten each portion into a circle with the fingers. Set a sesame filling ball at the centre. Gather the dough up around the filling, pinching the seam firmly shut, and roll between the palms into a smooth, seamless ball. This is where the dish lives or dies: any gap in the seal will allow the filling to escape into the cooking water, and the characteristic burst of warm, semi-liquid sesame paste — the defining pleasure of the dish — will be lost.
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4
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Lower the tang yuan in carefully. Cook over a sustained boil for 3–5 minutes. The tang yuan are done when they float to the surface, the skin turns translucent, and each ball appears slightly puffed.
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5
Transfer the tang yuan to bowls with their chosen liquid: brown sugar syrup, sweet ginger broth, or sweet osmanthus syrup. Serve immediately, while the filling remains warm and fluid.