How to prepare zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival

Zongzi is a traditional Chinese delicacy consumed during the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on 31 May this year.

These pyramid-shaped sticky rice dumplings are filled with savoury or sweet ingredients and wrapped in either bamboo or reed leaves. Here's a simple guide to making them at home:

Ingredients

• Bamboo or reed leaves (soaked overnight)
• Glutinous rice (soaked for 4-6 hours)
• Fillings of your choice (traditional fillings include marinated pork, salted egg yolk, sweet dates or red bean paste)
• Cotton string or straw for tying

A zongzi wrapping workshop was held at Highland Park Library on 18 May to celebrate China's Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin

Method

• Soak the leaves in water overnight.
• Rinse the soaked leaves and wipe them clean. Overlap two leaves to create a sturdy cone.
• Spoon a layer of glutinous rice into the cone, add your chosen filling, then cover with another layer of rice. Leave space at the top to fold the leaves over.
• Press the contents down firmly, fold the leaves tightly into a triangular or rectangular shape and secure with string to keep the dumpling intact during cooking.
• Boil the wrapped zongzi in water for 2-3 hours, or pressure-cook for about 1 hour, until the rice is fully cooked. Let the dumplings cool slightly before serving.

Examples of the finished product. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin

Zongzi can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.