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Chinese Name: 粽子 (zòng zi)
Characteristics: The flavor of Zongzi varies with the fillings, usually tasting salt or sweet. Those stuffed with meat are very nutritious, and fat but not greasy; those made of Chinese dates and sweet bean paste are aromatic, soft and delicious, especially being added some honey while consuming.
Zongzi, also named Glutinous Rice Dumplings, is traditional Chinese food of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month in memory of a famous Chinese patriotic poet - Qu Yuan. Nowadays people also make and consume it in everyday life as snack. The cooking methods differ from areas and there are various shapes, such as pyramid, quadrangle and cube. Aside of the main filling – glutinous rice, other stuffing is in diversity, including Chinese dates, sweet bean paste, peanuts, ham, egg yolk and meat. These abundant fillings make Zongzi worthwhile chewing slowly and savouring every piece of it. Even a popular TV program named A Bite of China shows the cooking method of the Jiaxing Meat Sticky Rice Dumplings. Read the Zongzi recipe below to learn how to make it.
Ingredients:sticky rice, 500g (amount for about 20 Glutinous Rice Dumplings) Note: It should be noted that the reed/bamboo leaves are not available all the year around. You are suggested to buy some half a month ahead in Chinese grocery. |
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Seasonings:soy sauce |
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Preparation:1.Soak the sticky rice in a large bowl or a basin for 2-3 hours. Then scoop outand drain off the waterin a colander. |
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Methods:
STEP 1 Add a little cooking wine on the pork, then the white sugar and soy sauce. Combine them thoroughly with a pair of chopsticks. Put aside. |
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STEP 2 How to Wrap Zongzi: Layer 3-4 leaves together and carefully fold the bottom into a cone. Hold the leaves at the bottom by hand. Scoop some sticky rice to fill the bottom, and then add meat. Cover the meat with more rice. Fold down the reed leaves and adjust to cover all stuffing, keeping holding it tightly. After that, tie up with twine and fasten the leaves in case of leakage. Now a cute Zongzi is finished. Make more in the same way. |
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STEP 3 Place a wok with cold water over high heat until boiling. Put the Zongzi in, cover the wok with the lid and boil for 1-2 hours. Larger ones with much stuffing may require 2-3 hours. During the cooking, keep the Zongzi soaked in boiling water so that you may need to add hot water for several times. Prepare a kettle with hot water at hand for your convenience. |
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STEP 4 Turn off the heat. Serve them on a plate with a kitchen ladle to cool down a little. |
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STEP 5 Look at these adorable Glutinous Rice Dumplings. They smell so good. Get rid of the leaves and eat with a spoon, or slightly strip off the leaves and enjoy by holding it. |
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The way above teaches how to make Zongzi with meat fillings. Those of other flavors can be made in the same way, only adding different stuffing together with the sticky rice.
Making Sweet Vegetarian Zongzi:
STEP 1 Ingredients Preparation: |
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STEP 2 Wrappingsweet Zongzi: |
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STEP 3 Afterbeingboiled and served on a plate, remove the leaves and addsome honey to improve the flavor. |
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More Chinese Staple Food & Snacks:
- Last updated on Jul. 31, 2019 -
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Certainly! With my wealth of knowledge in Chinese cuisine, particularly Zongzi, let me dive into the concepts used in the provided article:
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Zongzi (粽子): Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, also known as Glutinous Rice Dumplings. It is a staple during the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month. Zongzi can have various fillings, such as meat, Chinese dates, sweet bean paste, peanuts, ham, egg yolk, and more. The fillings contribute to the diverse flavors, ranging from savory to sweet.
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Dragon Boat Festival: This festival is celebrated in memory of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese patriotic poet. Zongzi is a significant part of the festival's culinary tradition.
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Cooking Methods and Shapes: Zongzi comes in various shapes, including pyramid, quadrangle, and cube. Cooking methods may differ based on regional variations.
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Ingredients for Zongzi: The primary ingredients include sticky rice, reed or bamboo leaves for wrapping, and a variety of fillings like pork. Seasonings involve soy sauce, cooking wine, and white sugar.
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Preparation Steps:
- Soak sticky rice for 2-3 hours.
- Boil reed leaves or soak them in warm water.
- Clean and slice pork.
- Prepare twine for fastening rice dumplings.
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Wrapping Zongzi (Steps):
- Layer leaves and fold the bottom into a cone.
- Fill with sticky rice and add meat.
- Fold leaves tightly and tie with twine to avoid leakage.
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Cooking Zongzi:
- Boil Zongzi in a wok for 1-3 hours, depending on size and stuffing.
- Keep Zongzi soaked in boiling water, adding hot water as needed.
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Serving Zongzi:
- Cool down Zongzi and serve by removing leaves.
- Enjoy with a spoon or by holding it.
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Variations:
- Other flavors of Zongzi can be made similarly by adding different stuffing along with sticky rice.
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Sweet Vegetarian Zongzi:
- Ingredients: sweet fillings.
- Wrapping and cooking steps similar to meat-filled Zongzi.
- Enhance flavor by adding honey after boiling.
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Other Chinese Staple Food & Snacks:
- Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Eight Treasures Porridge, Mooncake, Egg Fried Rice, etc.
Now, armed with this comprehensive understanding, you're ready to embark on a Zongzi-making adventure or explore more Chinese staple foods and snacks!
