In some southern regions of the country, there is a custom of consuming glutinous rice during the cold winter months. Some areas also have traditions of making New Year rice cakes and sticky rice cakes crafted from steamed and mashed glutinous rice.

Believed to have higher sugar content than regular rice, glutinous rice is thought to bring warmth to the body, helping to dispel the cold. In traditional Chinese medicine, glutinous rice enhances vital energy, making it particularly suitable for consumption during winter.