“On January 26th, a elderly man in Handan, Hebei Province, said, ‘Fried meatballs bring the taste of the Lunar New Year.’ As the Chinese New Year approaches, he made a tool for frying meatballs using a milk powder can, which quickly became a hot topic on Weibo.
Tomorrow, January 28th, is New Year’s Eve, and many families are starting to prepare for the reunion dinner, which includes the essential fried meatballs. Meatballs, also known as ’round balls’ in the eyes of Chinese people, symbolize completeness.
On January 26th, a young man in Handan, Hebei Province, shared the homemade meatball frying tool made by his father.
According to him in an interview with Chao News, because making meatballs by hand was too bothersome, his father came up with an idea to use a milk powder can to create a hole the size of a meatball. They would then fill it with seasoned meat, and press down with the bottom of another milk powder can with a wooden handle to create a meatball frying tool. The result was very successful – it was not only fast and labor-saving, but also kept their hands clean.
After the elderly man’s homemade meatball frying tool was shared online, it immediately sparked discussion and became a hot topic on Weibo.
Many internet users made jokes like, ‘Isn’t this just a mini version of the bucket we used to sell mashed potatoes from while riding a bicycle with music playing?’ ‘Laying eggs.’ ‘Why does anyone who comes up with these ideas seem smarter than me?’
Some people commented, ‘As long as the mind stays sharp, there are always more solutions than difficulties.’ ‘Wow, this method is great, but unfortunately, we’ve already fried all our meatballs at home.’ ‘This is truly living wisdom!’ ‘Go apply for a patent, make a machine and sell it.’ ‘So clever.’ ‘The experts are among the people.'”