The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the "Chongwu Festival", is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year. On this day, people will eat rice dumplings, race dragon boats, hang mugwort leaves, drink realgar wine and other traditional customs. Among them, rice dumplings are one of the most representative delicacies of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Origin

The custom of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival originated from ancient China. According to legend, during the Warring States Period, Qu Yuan, an official of the Chu State, threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of May and died for his country. To commemorate him, people row dragon boats and eat rice dumplings on the fifth day of May every year to express their condolences.

Materials

The materials needed to make rice dumplings include glutinous rice, pork, salted egg yolk, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, salt, soy sauce, five-spice powder, etc.

Production steps

1. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it for more than 4 hours.

2. Cut the pork into small pieces, add onions, ginger, salt, soy sauce, and five-spice powder and marinate for half an hour.

3. Soak the mushrooms and cut into small pieces.

4. Cut the salted egg yolk into small pieces.

5. Wash the rice dumpling leaves and blanch them in boiling water.

6. Take out the rice dumpling leaves and dry them for later use.

7. Put the glutinous rice into the pot, add appropriate amount of water, and cook until it is eighty-ripe.

8. Take out the cooked glutinous rice, add marinated pork, shiitake mushrooms and salted egg yolk, stir evenly.

9. Cross-fold two rice dumpling leaves to form a triangle, put the rice dumpling filling inside, and wrap it with rice dumpling leaves to form a triangular cone shape.

10. Put the wrapped rice dumplings into the pot, add enough water and cook for about 2-3 hours.

Taste

The cooked rice dumplings are golden in color, with the sticky texture of glutinous rice on the outside, and tender pork and salted egg yolk on the inside, plus the taste of shiitake mushrooms, which makes people salivate. . When eating rice dumplings, you can add some sweet candied dates or red bean paste, or dip them in some soy sauce and chili oil to make them even more delicious.

End

The custom of eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival has a history of thousands of years. It is not only a traditional delicacy, but also carries people’s memory of history and family affection. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, whether you make it at home or buy it from outside, eating rice dumplings is an indispensable ritual. Let’s taste this delicacy together and experience the traditional culture of the Dragon Boat Festival.