Days — Zongzi

Zongzi are sweet or savory rice dumplings that remind us of our ancestors who tried to lure the fish away from eating Qu Yuan.

Zongzi are rice dumplings that are often wrapped in bamboo, lotus, or banana leaves, and filled with sweet or savory ingredients such as red beans, lotus seeds, pork, sausage, or mushrooms.

Fillings and shapes vary by region. Generally speaking, sweet zongzi are preferred in Northern China while savory zongzi are more popular in Southern China.

Make your own Zongzi

In your box, you’ll find everything you need to make your own Zongzi. We’ve used a traditional and simple to make dried dates filling for you to enjoy!

In the box:

Bamboo leaves
Glutinous rice
Jujube

Optional filling:

You can also use your own filling instead of jujube such as red bean, pork, dried mushrooms, peanuts, mung beans, egg yolk etc.

Prep a day ahead (10 mins)

1. Rinse and soak the leaves overnight (or until pliable) in enough cold water to cover the leaves. You can place a plate on top to keep them submerged.

2. In a separate bowl, rinse and soak the rice overnight.

Fold & Fill (30 mins)

This can be a bit tricky the first (second and third) time so don't be hard on yourself if it doesn't come out perfect.

Prepare your fillings.
Optional: Once the leaves are softened, trim their ends to prevent the sharp corners from accidentally poking holes into your zongzi during the wrapping process.
Place two leaves, shiny sides up, on top of each other (the smaller one on top can be slightly offset).
Fold the leaves in the middle, while twisting and tucking one edge in to create a cone.
Fill the cone with rice and other fillings. Pack tightly.
Fold the ends of the leaves over the opening of the cone. Then fold the edges down on each side and fold the remaining leaves to the side.
Tie the zongzi tightly with string.