The Dragon Boat Festival

粽子 – Zong Zi

Zong Zi - a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. It is meant to honor Qu Yuan, the pioneer poet of ancient China as many traditional Chinese foods are intended to honor either the gods or divine persons in history.

Since that time Qu Yuan passed away, it has been customary on this day to enjoy Zong Zi dumplings as a memorial to the patriotic poet. The main ingredient of Zong Zi is the glutinous rice. The next most important ingredient is the bamboo or reed leaves which form the wrapping and make Zong Zi distinct from other types of Chinese dumplings. The filling often contains either dates or sweetened red bean paste.

If you ever visit China during the Dragon Boat Festival, you can't miss the nationwide custom of enjoying Zong Zi. You are sure to be impressed with the delicacy of this snack, and with the faint scent of the leaves imprinted on the skin of the dumplings.