 image by freepik.com | Dragon Boat Festival is coming up in mid-June and this year it's June 20th, 2015. It's an annual tradition that began more than 2,300 years ago that's been passed down from generation to generation. It's probably most famously known for it's Zòngzi (粽子) which is Bamboo leaf wrapped sticky rice, and Dragon Boat Racing. 2 Cooking Styles of Sticky Rice Dumplings . . . Every year, my grandmother would make us Zòngzi to eat and this year I finally asked her to teach me. I found out there are 2 types of the sticky rice dumpling cooking styles: Steamed & Boiled. |
They are both pretty much the same, with the exception of the type of rice used. The version that I made in my video recipe tutorial was the boiled type.
The History of the Poet. . . When I asked my grandfather how Dragon Boat Festival came about, he told me it's a story that began 2,356 years ago (not sure how he got so exact on dates given it's a legend, but I appreciated the details). There was a poet who was also a chancellor of a country and unfortunately, during that era there were lots of wars.
The History of the Poet. . . When I asked my grandfather how Dragon Boat Festival came about, he told me it's a story that began 2,356 years ago (not sure how he got so exact on dates given it's a legend, but I appreciated the details). There was a poet who was also a chancellor of a country and unfortunately, during that era there were lots of wars.
How to Make Zongzi - Video Recipe His country was taken over by another leader, and legend has it, that he loved his country so much and he was in such despair, that he committed suicide by holding onto a heavy rock and jumping into the water. Some people witnessed this sad event and they thought so highly of this poet and his love for the country, that they went out on boats in order to find his body.
When they couldn't find his body to give him a proper burial, they decided to throw rice stuffed in hollowed out bamboo into the water where he drowned in hopes of feeding the fish so they wouldn't eat his body. Later, legend has this poet's spirit coming back to the townspeople and explaining to them that the "bad sea creatures" were actually eating their gifts, and in order to prevent this from happening, it's best to wrap the sticky rice in bamboo leaves instead. After that incident and over 2,300 years later, people wrap sticky rice in bamboo leaves (previously to throw into the water), but now to celebrate this event by cooking and eating.
I hope you guys have a wonderful Dragon Boat Festival this year!
Check out:
My video tutorial on How to Make your own Zòngzi at Home.
Printable Recipe & Ingredients List
When they couldn't find his body to give him a proper burial, they decided to throw rice stuffed in hollowed out bamboo into the water where he drowned in hopes of feeding the fish so they wouldn't eat his body. Later, legend has this poet's spirit coming back to the townspeople and explaining to them that the "bad sea creatures" were actually eating their gifts, and in order to prevent this from happening, it's best to wrap the sticky rice in bamboo leaves instead. After that incident and over 2,300 years later, people wrap sticky rice in bamboo leaves (previously to throw into the water), but now to celebrate this event by cooking and eating.
I hope you guys have a wonderful Dragon Boat Festival this year!
Check out:
My video tutorial on How to Make your own Zòngzi at Home.
Printable Recipe & Ingredients List