汤圆（sweet soup ball)是中国的一种传统食物。它最初在隋朝被称为元宵 (Yuanxiao)，曾被用来指代元宵节（the Lantern Festival)，元宵节是一个以吃汤圆或元宵的形式来庆祝的节日。汤圆至今已经有700多年的历史了。这种深受人们喜爱的食物最早出现在宁波。随着不断的发展和完善，逐渐形成了这种有着特殊味道，由糯米(glutinous rice)做皮、猪油(lard)做馅儿的宁波汤圆。

  Sweet soup ball is a kind of traditional food in China. Originally named Yuanxiao in the Sui Dynasty，it was ever used to refer to the Lantern Festival，a day celebrated by eating sweet soup balls and rice glue balls. Sweet soup ball now has a history of over 700 years.This food，much favored by people，first appeared in Ningbo. Through its continuous development and improvement, the unique flavor of Ningbo sweet soup balls made of glutinous rice with lard stuffing has gradually come into being.