Foodlingo: Zongzi
Regularly, food editor at large Marjan Ippel introduces a new or recently re-entered term in the food scene here, the so-called foodlingo. No foodie can do without it. After all, ‘what (not) to speak’ is at least as important in food as ‘what (not) to eat’.
This time: Zongzi
At last, we’re all tucking into Chinese dumplings and bao, now that Asian is the New Nordic. But we’re only at the beginning. Because after the dumpling comes zongzi. Traditional Chinese finger food made from glutinous rice with a surprise filling, wrapped in a bamboo or lotus leaf. The pyramid-shaped parcel is then steamed or boiled for hours.
Dragon Boat Festival
Traditionally, zongzi are eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival sometime in late May or early June, held in memory of a patriotic Chinese poet.
Every Chinese food comes with a story of courage and heroism. Zongzi is no exception.
And, as with every Chinese food, this one too comes with a story of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice. In this case, the poet who throws himself into the river for patriotic reasons is saved by throwing parcels of rice from the riverbank to keep hungry predatory fish at bay.
Duck Egg Yolk
While in northern China zongzi fillings mainly consist of sweet ingredients, such as red bean paste or dates, in the south they are savory: anything from salted duck egg yolk to pork belly, taro, pulled pork/chicken, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp.
Maggie Xu, known for her handmade jiaozi (or, somewhat irreverently, dumplings), which she sells at the Yada Yada Market in Zaandam, among other places, has recently started making zongzi too: “Chinese companies give zongzi to their employees as a gift, just like a Christmas hamper here.”
Mung Bean
Just as in China, Xu makes various fillings. Her favorite is mung bean with pork belly and, optionally, salted duck egg yolk. But she also hides fresh peanuts, red beans, chestnuts or dates in the glutinous rice. Xu: ‘I place the rice in bamboo leaves for the delicious aroma. The greatest challenge is then folding the parcel properly and tying it closed.’
Fortunately, we no longer throw zongzi to the fish, but eat them ourselves. And no longer only during the Dragon Boat Festival, which, incidentally, falls on June 9 this year.
Text: Marjan Ippel
Image: Shutterstock
