Dragon Boat Festival & Zongzi

An intricately-wrapped Zongzi.

On May 28, 2009, families all throughout San Diego will be enjoying these delicious, exquisite delicacies.  These treats, known as "Zongzi," are traditionally eaten on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, otherwise known in Mandarin Chinese as the "Duanwu Festival."  The Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar and is a public holiday in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.  Celebrations for this holiday include racing dragon boats (hence the holiday's English name), drinking realgar wine and savoring zongzi.  

Zongzi is a traditional Chinese dish made of glutinous rice, stuffed with either savory or sweet fillings, wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and steamed or boiled.  This year, my mother spent an entire weekend preparing the separate fillings (both savory and sweet), forming the zongzi shape (which is similar to a pyramid), wrapping them tightly in bamboo leaves and steaming until the rice cooked through.  I volunteered to assist her in forming and wrapping the zongzi, but soon realized that I was slowing her down by asking her to monitor my progress and instead, relegated myself to preparing the sweet filling, made entirely from Adzuki red bean paste. 

Since at-home zongzi assembly can be quite laborious, many stores and restaurants in San Diego are selling both sweet and savory zongzi until May 28th.  Depending on its size and filling, zongzi may go for about $2.00 to $5.00 each.  If given the opportunity, do try these zongzi; the subtle aroma from the bamboo leaves fused with fragrant, smooth rice and sweet/savory fillings send your tastebuds and senses soaring on a whirlwind tango.  Okay, they may not be that life-altering, but they are pretty delicious.

Have a wonderful Duanwu Festival with your friends and family.