Xianshi Dumpling (咸米时), also known as "Lucky Dumpling". Locals from Southeastern China's Pingtan Island marks the Winter Solstice which falls on December 22 every year with the specialty.

Legend has it that a local villager in the past was put in prison after being falsely accused. The warder ate whatever food his son had brought to his father. Later on, a fellow villager suggested that the food be rounded with a wrapper made from sweet potato flour and stuffed with fish and meat inside. As expected, the novel food was ignored by the warder, and the poor old father finally got the chance to enjoy his meals. Since then, this unique dumpling-shaped meatball has been handed down locally in Pingtan Island as a symbol of gratitude and filial piety, and they are prepared and served at all important festivals.

Shichunjiu-the tool for making the wrapper of the Xianshi Dumplings

When speaking of the Xianshi Dumplings, one must also know the tool which makes them - Shichunjiu, a very large bowl-shaped mortar together with the hammer both carved from stone. When making the wrapper of the Xianshi Dumplings, people would put the steamed sweet potatoes and its flour into the stone mortar, and mash them with the stone hammer repeatedly.

Cartoon:The family are making Xianshi Dumpling. 

The quality of the Xianshi Dumplings depends on the wrapper. The best wrapper should be thin, fine, bouncy but also soft.

Fillings can be surprisingly plentiful which contain, but are not limited to, local seafood like Porphyra, shrimps, crabs, squids, and oysters, mixed with pork, diced cabbages, carrots, turnip strips, and onions. The taste of these fillings will be unique for different households so it is inevitable to have different tastes for these Xianshi Dumplings. The combination of the stir-fried fillings and the bouncy wrappers make them a perfect delicacy in Pingtan.