Conquer Asia

Zongi is a Chinese rice dumpling that serves as the traditional food of the country. It is made of glutinous rice which is stuffed with various fillings and are usually wrapped in bamboo leaves. These rice dumplings are cooked through steaming or boiling.

The dish is traditionally eaten in the Dragon Boat Festival—a commemoration of the death of Qu Yuan, a well known Chinese poet. Chinese legends say that the rice dumplings were thrown into the river so that the fish will not eat the body of the great poet. Some legends also say that the dumplings were actually given to placate the dragon which lived in the river.

The rice dumplings’ shape vary from tetrahedral to cylindrical. The wrapping of the zongzi is a skill passed down through some Chinese families. The dumplings are wrapped in bamboo leaves and also in the leaves of lotus, maize, banana, canna, shell ginger and pandan leaves.

zongzi, china, food