Zongzi...slurp!!

What the heck is that? It’s also known as glutinous dumpling. The Chinese call it ‘Zong’ or ‘Zongzi’. A traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with different yummy-licious fillings and wrapped with bamboo leaves. Cooked either by boiling or steaming.

This Sunday, 8/6/2008 is Zongzi festival. According to the history, zongzi is eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, commemorating to the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet. He was from the kingdom of Chu during the Warring States period. Famously known for his patriotism. He failed to warn his king and countrymen about the expansion of their Qin neighbours. When the Qin Dynasty took over the Chu capital in 278BC, he was very unhappy and took his own life by drowning in Miluo river after penning the ‘Lament for Ying.’ Now here is the role of zongzi. Zongzi were thrown into river to prevent fish from eating the poet’s body. Hmmmm… More like contaminating the river. Ignore my comment yah. >_<

My granny will be making the Nyonya zongzi. I’m so used to calling it Nyonya Zhang. Zhang is actually a pronunciation in teochew dialect. Then I hope my granny will be making Kee Zhang. Actually known as ‘Jianshui zong’, the glutinous is treated with lye water (aqueous calcium hydroxide) which gives the rice a light yellow colour. You can’t put too much of the lye water because it will make the rice hard. Then you will be eating stone instead. My granny’s nyonya zhang is whitish in colour. Usually other dumpling looks a bit of light brown due to the dark sauce is mixed together when preparing the rice. Different dumping from different dialect have different fillings.

Can’t wait to eat them. Oh yeah, by the way zer, you can’t get to eat zhang! Hehehe..I think yan will be able to eat. Evil me!