Bamboo wrapped Sticky Rice (粽子) or Zòngzi in Mandarin has always been an annual tradition in my family. We would frequently eat this during the Dragon Boat Festival celebration. I remember when I was in college, my grandma used to make an extra dozen for me so I could put in my freezer and eat as an easy to reheat tasty meal. Those were perfect and satisfying.
It's kind of a fun weekend project and much easier if you have help. No joke, it's hard work to prepare the bamboo leaves and wrap the sticky rice. I recommend washing the bamboo leaves a day or two beforehand so you can focus on the cooking and wrapping of the Zongzi on your cooking day.
While there are many ways to wrap the sticky rice, and many different variations on the dumpling filling, here's the recipe for my personal favorite. There are also 2 styles for cooking the Zongzi: Steaming & Boiling method. Both are similar, but each use a slightly different type of rice. I'm using the boiling method here.
Kitchen Supplies: - You will need string for tying up the bamboo sticky rice bundle. I recommend 100% cotton thick kitchen twine. (The thicker ones are less likely to snap/break.)
