Zongzi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zongzi

Zongzi both ready to eat (left) and still wrapped in a bamboo leaf (right)
Alternative names	bakcang, bacang, machang, zang, nom asom, pya htote, chimaki
Type	Rice cake
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Chinese-speaking areas East Asia
Main ingredients	Glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves
Variations	Lotus leaf wrap
Similar dishes	Mont phet htok Chunga pitha

Zongzi (Chinese: 粽子; pinyin: zòngzi) is a special traditional Chinese rice dish. It is made from glutinous rice (also called sticky rice). This rice is filled with different tasty ingredients. Then, it's carefully wrapped in large leaves, usually bamboo leaves.

The fillings can be sweet, like red bean paste. Or they can be savory, with things like pork belly or Chinese sausage. After being wrapped, zongzi are cooked by steaming or boiling. People in China and other parts of Asia have enjoyed zongzi for many centuries. It is especially popular during the Dragon Boat Festival.

What Are the Different Names for Zongzi?

As zongzi became popular in different parts of Asia, it got many new names. In Myanmar, people call it phet htoke. In Cambodia, it's nom chang. You might hear it called machang in the Philippines or bacang in Indonesia. In Laos, it's khanom chang, and in Thailand, it's ba-chang.

In Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan, many Chinese communities call it bakcang or bacang. This name comes from the Hokkien language. Japanese cuisine has a similar leaf-wrapped dumpling called chimaki. In some parts of the United States, people sometimes call zongzi "Chinese tamales" because they are also wrapped in leaves.

In Mauritius, zongzi is a traditional dish. It's often eaten by people of Chinese origin during the Dragon Boat Festival. This festival remembers a famous Chinese poet named Qu Yuan.

The Story Behind Zongzi: Popular Myths

A popular story tells us that zongzi began as a way to honor Qu Yuan. He was a very famous Chinese poet who lived a long time ago. Qu Yuan was known for his love for his country. He tragically died in the Miluo River in 278 BC.

The Chinese people admired Qu Yuan's talent and loyalty. To prevent fish from harming his body, they threw rice dumplings into the river each year. This was their way of showing respect and gratitude.

Another old story says that Qu Yuan's ghost appeared to a man in a dream. The ghost told him to wrap the rice packets with special leaves and colored string. This would keep dragons away from the dumplings. These stories show how important Qu Yuan and the zongzi tradition became.

A Look at Zongzi Through History

Zongzi are traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. This festival happens on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese calendar. It usually falls in late May or mid-June each year.

People have been eating zongzi during this festival for a very long time. Records from the late Han dynasty (around 2nd–3rd centuries AD) mention these sticky rice dumplings. Back then, people wrapped sticky rice in wild rice leaves. They boiled them in water mixed with ash. These early zongzi were sometimes shaped like ox horns.

During the Jin dynasty (266–420 AD), zongzi officially became a special food for the Dragon Boat Festival. There's a story about an official who sent zongzi with a special filling called yizhiren. This type of dumpling was then called yizhi zong, meaning "dumplings to increase wisdom." Later, people started adding many different fillings like meat, chestnuts, and red beans. They would even exchange zongzi as gifts.

In the Tang dynasty, zongzi came in new shapes, like cones and diamonds. The rice used was very white. During the Song dynasty, zongzi with candied fruits became popular. There were even shops dedicated to selling zongzi, showing how fashionable they were.

Later, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, zongzi became a symbol of good luck. Students taking important exams would eat "pen zongzi." These were long and thin, like a writing brush. The name sounded like the Chinese word for "pass," bringing good wishes for their exams. Today, Chinese families still gather in early May of the lunar calendar to prepare zongzi. They soak the rice, wash the leaves, and wrap these delicious treats.

What Does Zongzi Look Like?

Prepackaged dried bamboo leaves for making zongzi

Zongzi come in many shapes. Some are like pyramids in southern China. Others are long and cone-shaped in northern China. Making zongzi neatly is a special skill. Families often pass down their unique recipes and wrapping techniques. It's a traditional family activity where everyone helps.

Most zongzi are wrapped in bamboo leaves. But sometimes, people use other leaves like lotus, reed, or banana leaves. Each type of leaf adds its own special smell and taste to the rice.

The fillings inside zongzi also change from place to place. But the rice is almost always glutinous rice. In northern China, zongzi are often sweet. They might have red bean paste or jujubes. These are usually eaten as a dessert.

Southern-style zongzi are more savory or salty. They can be filled with ham, salted duck egg yolk, pork belly, or shiitake mushrooms. Today, you can find all kinds of zongzi in markets. Their styles are no longer limited to where they first came from.

Zongzi need to be steamed or boiled for several hours. This depends on how the rice was prepared. Nowadays, you can easily find pre-cooked zongzi. They often come in vacuum packs or are frozen.

Delicious Fillings for Zongzi

Zongzi with different fillings can be identified by their shape or colored string.

Here are some common fillings you might find:

Sweet:

Salty or Savory:

Either Sweet or Savory (Neutral):

Regional Zongzi Variations

Zongzi in Mainland China

Examples of Southern and Northern Chinese style zongzi

Unwrapped zongzi with pork and mung beans (left), and pork and peanuts (right)

• Jiaxing zongzi: These are very famous in China, from the city of Jiaxing. They are usually savory. The rice is mixed with soy sauce, and they have pork, chestnut, and salted duck egg yolk inside. Sweet versions with mung bean or red bean paste also exist.
• Jianshui zong (Alkaline Water Zong): These zongzi are often eaten as a dessert. The rice is treated with a special alkaline water, which gives them a yellow color. They might have no filling or a sweet filling like red bean paste. People often eat them with sugar or syrup.
• Cantonese jung (Guangdong Zong): These are a popular southern style. They often have marinated pork belly and duck, along with mung bean paste, mushrooms, and salted egg yolk. Cantonese jung are usually small and shaped like an awl.
• Sichuan zong (Sichuan Zong): People in Sichuan love spicy food. So, their zongzi are spicy! They add Sichuan peppercorns, chili powder, and a little preserved pork. They are cooked and sometimes roasted, making them very flavorful.
• Beijing zong (Beijing Zong): The zongzi from Beijing are sweet and often eaten cold. Common fillings include red dates, bean paste, and preserved fruit.
• Shanxi zong (Shanxi Zong): In Shanxi, zongzi are often made with yellow glutinous millet or sticky yellow rice. This is different from the usual white glutinous rice. They are often filled with red dates or sweetened red beans. They have a chewy and dense texture.

Zongzi in Taiwan

Taiwanese zongzi are known for how they are cooked.

• Northern Taiwanese zongzi are wrapped in bamboo husks and then steamed.
• Southern Taiwanese zongzi are wrapped in different bamboo leaves and then boiled.

Fillings can be:

• Vegetarian zongzi often have dry peanut flakes.
• Meat-filled zongzi can have fresh pork, chicken, duck, egg yolk, mushrooms, or dried shrimps.

Chimaki in Japan

• Japanese chimaki are very similar to Chinese zongzi. They use different types of bamboo leaves and can be sweet or savory.
• A special sweet chimaki is eaten on Children's Day (May 5th). It has a long, narrow cone shape.

Zong in Mauritius

• Sweet zong is plain rice without fillings. It's eaten with crushed peanuts and sugar.
• Salty zong has meat, beans, and other savory fillings mixed into the rice.

Chang in Malaysia and Singapore

Nyonya Chang on sale in Singapore.

• Nyonya chang (Nyonya Zongzi): This is a special dish from Peranakan cuisine. They are made similarly to southern Chinese zongzi. However, pandan leaves are often used for wrapping, along with bamboo leaves. The filling is usually minced pork with candied winter melon, spices, and sometimes roasted peanuts. Part of the rice is often dyed blue with a flower extract, making them very pretty.

Zongzi Museum

The Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum in Jiaxing, China teaches visitors about the history and different styles of zongzi. It's a great place to learn more about this traditional food.

Gallery

• Variations of zongzi
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  Zongzi assembly in Shanghai

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  Jianshui zongzi without fillings

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  Japanese-style chimaki may have a long narrow conical shape

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  A very large zongzi

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  Dessert zongzi made with translucent glutinous rice paste

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  Fancy decorated zongzi in a museum display

See also

In Spanish: Zongzi para niños