People in the north and south have very different diets and customs. They even have very different personalities. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. As a southerner, of course, I know how to make rice dumplings at home, so let’s take a look at how to make rice dumplings in the south. Illustration of how to make southern rice dumplings and ingredients

Ingredients: Mengzong bamboo leaves, round glutinous rice, heart meat, dried shrimps, dried shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, salted egg yolks, chestnuts, fried shallots

Seasonings : Appropriate amounts of oil, salt, and soy sauce

Selection of glutinous rice: It is difficult to tell with the naked eye whether there are substandard products mixed in, but according to expert purchasing experience, one week before the Dragon Boat Festival You even have to buy the rice dumplings the day before. Generally, the quality of glutinous rice is better. This is because the closer to the festival, the greater the demand for glutinous rice in the market. At this time, not only the circulation rate is high, but also stores will generally put out all the "good products". . Chestnuts that are indispensable in southern rice dumplings should be selected with complete shape and no musty smell. For boiled peanuts and salted egg yolks, it is recommended to buy them ready-made at traditional markets to save time and trouble. Zongzi-making experts suggest that you can learn to make scallion cakes using the following methods. The aroma of the rice dumplings will be more attractive than those sold on the market!

Homemade scallion cakes: Pour into the pot Heat an appropriate amount of oil over high heat to medium-low temperature (about 120 degrees Celsius), add the chopped shallots to the pot, turn down the heat, and drain the oil after about 30 minutes.

Preparation actions:

1. The preparation procedure here is the same as that of Beizong. Wash and dry the bamboo leaves first and set aside. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it for at least 4 hours, then drain it and set aside.

2. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms and cut the heart meat into large pieces, then put the chestnuts and the chestnuts into the pot, add soy sauce and water to marinate, and cook until the flavor is cooked through That’s it.

Wrap first and then cook:

1. Put the drained raw glutinous rice into a clean container and add boiled peanuts, dried shrimps and scallions. Mix well together.

2. Then start making the rice dumplings directly! Take two bamboo leaves and fold them up and down as shown in the picture. The Mengzong bamboo leaves used in Southern Zongzi are smaller in size, so one Zongzi requires two bamboo leaves. This is a big difference in the wrapping methods of Northern and Southern Zongzi!

3 .Remember that the stems of the two bamboo leaves face the left and right sides respectively. Meng Zong bamboo leaves have smooth and rough sides. When wrapping, remember to put the smooth side up. If you use the rough side by mistake, the glutinous rice will stick to the bamboo leaves after cooking, making it very difficult to peel off!

4. First bend the two ends of the bamboo leaves toward the center to form an inverted cone shape. Don't be distracted by the idea of ??"two bamboo leaves" during the wrapping process. It will be less confusing to operate as if you have a large bamboo leaf in your hand. The next process of wrapping the rice dumplings and tying the rope is actually very similar to that of the northern rice dumplings. You can compare and refer to the aforementioned steps.

5. First fill in a little raw glutinous rice mixed with boiled peanuts, dried shrimps, fried green onions, and then add fillings such as meat cubes, chestnuts, and salted egg yolks. Then take an appropriate amount of raw glutinous rice to cover the filling and fill the inverted cone.

6. Bend the bamboo leaves in the direction of the glutinous rice as shown in the picture, then fold the excess bamboo leaves on the left and right sides inwards to fit the rice dumpling body, and then fold Grab the upper end of the folded bamboo leaf and bend it to the side. Fold it to fit the rice dumpling body, and fix it with your hands to prevent the bamboo leaf from spreading or shifting.

7. Take a cotton rope and wrap it twice around the body of the rice dumpling. First tie a dead knot to secure it, and then tie a slip knot to complete. In comparison, because Nanzong is made of raw glutinous rice, it must be tied more tightly to prevent it from falling apart during the subsequent boiling process.

8. Put the whole bunch of wrapped rice dumplings into a large pot, add cold water until the rice dumplings are completely covered, and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour before taking them out. Eat and enjoy the deliciousness of hand-wrapped rice dumplings!

Here’s how to heat it: steam fresh rice dumplings in a steamer or electric pot for 10 minutes. If they are "ice rice dumplings" taken out of the freezer, they need to be steamed for 20 minutes. If the rice dumplings are larger, they need to be steamed for an additional 3 to 5 minutes to avoid being hot outside and cold inside.