Zongzi is the traditional Chinese food prepared for the Duanwu Festival. It is extremely popular for the aroma of the wrapper leaves, the soft and chewy glutinous rice, and the texture of the filling.
The Origin and History of Zongzi
In ancient times, zongzi were shaped as a horn for sacrifice to heaven and ancestors. That was the original model. In the Tsin Dynasty (365-420AD), zongzi were made in various other shapes, and the fillings were meat, chestnut, and red beans. They were very similar to the zongzi that are made nowadays.
From the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), zongzi prevailed in Japan and even around the world. There is a record of “Zongzi in the Great Tang” in the literature of Japan.
With the increasing number of varieties of food, the ancient Chinese wrapped some fruits in the glutinous rice in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming and the Qing Dynasty, people added bean paste, dried Chinese dates, pine nut kernels and walnut kernels to the glutinous rice and wrapped it in the reed leaves.
In 1988, a Chinese archaeologist found two archaeological objects of zongzi in a tomb from the year 1274 in the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD), located in De’an county of Jiangxi Province.
The Different Textures of Zongzi
The shapes and textures of zongzi are varied in different regions of China. There are extreme variations from north to south in China.
Beijing: There are two styles of zongzi in Beijing. One style is entirely made of glutinous rice without added ingredients, which is then dipped in sugar. Another style is made by wrapping dried Chinese red dates into the glutinous rice. It has a soft, tender texture.
Jiaxing: Jiaxing zongzi is a long strip with four corners, and uses a piece of fatty meat with a slice of lean meat in the rice. After cooking, it is even more aromatic.
Guangzhou: Guangdong zongzi has a lot of different ingredients and takes a long time to prepare. Savory zongzi are filled with ham, salted egg or meat, roast pork, chestnuts, mushroom, and shrimp meat. Sweet mushroom filling is made with bean paste, jujube paste, and walnut kernels.
Eat zongzi properly: Zongzi is not easy to digest, as glutinous rice is really sticky and lacking in fiber. Don’t more than 50g that is only one, or a half one, per day.
The ingredients of zongzi easily turn sour in the summer. It is better to preserve it in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Zongzi should be heated before eating: Cold zongzi becomes very sticky and oily, it is more likely to cause indigestion.
Zongzi is not good for diabetics: Most people like to eat savory zongzi with greasy pork, but it has too much fat to be healthy eating. Therefore people with diabetes should avoid eating it.
Tips for Cooking Zongzi
1. To cook zongzi, start with cold water in the pot.
2. Put the zongzi in the pot and weigh them down before adding water. Doing this will make the zongzi tighter and reduce the chance of rice leakage.
3. For the glutinous rice used to wrap the zongzi, it can be soaked in either wood ash water or alkaline water. Note that after soaking in alkaline water, the rice will become more fragrant and tender.
4. Once the zongzi are cooked, they should be soaked in water for a few hours before being removed from the pot. This helps to enhance their fragrance and flavor.
Watch the video about Zongzi in North & South
Have a question? OR Are you eager to begin your Chinese cultural journey? Drop us a line and we will promptly connect you with our leading China expert!
Zongzi, a traditional Chinese food, is made of sticky rice stuffed with special fillings and wrapped up in Argy-wormwood leaves. Chinese people eat Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival to memorialize Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who lived 2300 years ago in State of Chu inWarring States Period.
To eat, simply cut the twine and unwrap the leaves to reveal the zongzi inside. To give the zongzi more flavors, savoury ones can be served with soy sauce while the sweet ones or lye water zongzi can be served with sugar or honey. Zongzi can be frozen after they cool to room temperature.
What has become established popular belief amongst the Chinese is that zongzi has since the days of yore been a food-offering to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famous poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period.
Zongzi is not just a dish; it holds significant cultural and symbolic value. Eating Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Families often come together to make Zongzi, creating a sense of unity and tradition.
In ancient China's Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), people used the leaves of wild rice to wrap glutinous rice into an ox-horn shape, thus giving it the name "jiaoshu," or "horn-shaped millet dumplings." At that time, jiaoshu were used as sacrifices to pay tribute to the ancestors and gods in the hope of a good ...
A notable part of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival is making and eating zongzi, also known as sticky rice dumplings, with family members and friends.
In ancient China, the leaves could help extend the shelf life of zongzi due to the natural antibacterial ingredients. Therefore the ancient Chinese developed the approach of making zongzi wrapped in these leaves and sinking them in water during the hot summers.
After a couple of centuries of this frustration, Qu Yuan came back to tell the people to wrap the rice in leaves, or stuff it into a bamboo stalk, so the dragon couldn't eat it.
Once the rice dumplings are complete cooled, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, store the zongzi in a freezer bags or even clean grocery bags. They will stay good for several months (about 3 to 4 months) frozen.
The story begins with Qu Yuan, a patriotic statesman from ancient China who, once the kingdom he served fell, threw himself into a river in despair. It was said that the locals threw triangle-shaped rice dumplings into the river to stop the fish from eating his body.
This is Zong Zi (粽子), also known as Sticky Rice Dumpling, also known as what you eat to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival. If you have never had Zong Zi (粽子) before, it is kinda similar to Tamales. You wrap sticky rice, meat, nuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients inside the bamboo leaf, and you steam it.
They furiously threw steamed rice wrapped in reed leaf into the river as a sacrifice to his spirit and to keep the fish from consuming Qu Yuan's body. Since that time more than 2000 years ago, it has been customary during the dumpling festival to enjoy rice dumplings as a memorial to this patriotic poet.
Address: 747 Lubowitz Run, Sidmouth, HI 90646-5543
Phone: +99513241752844
Job: Design Supervisor
Hobby: Digital arts, Lacemaking, Air sports, Running, Scouting, Shooting, Puzzles
Introduction: My name is Delena Feil, I am a clean, splendid, calm, fancy, jolly, bright, faithful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
