Making Zongzi For Dragon Boat Festival

At i-Immersion, we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in all of our classes. In preparation for our next week’s in-class festival menu workshop, we will be making a zongzi or sticky rice dumpling with our students! Below is the ingredient in making a simple zongzi or sticky rice dumpling.

Zongzi or Sticky Rice Dumpling Ingredient:

1. Mushroom

2. 1 ½ lbs. glutinous rice – let this soak in water overnight for best result

3. 40-50 sheets of dried bamboo leaves (20-25 sheets of dried banana leaves will do if you cannot find bamboo leaves)

4. Butcher’s twine or some strong cotton thread

5. 3 tbsp. Chinese Soy Sauce

6. ¼  tsp. salt

7. ¼ tsp. brown sugar (or honey)

8. ½ tsp. five-spice powder

Procedure:

1. Cut mushrooms.

2. Wash and drain the soaked glutinous rice.

3. Soak the dried bamboo in warm water. Take two leaves with leaf stem or spine facing out. Overlap them lengthwise in opposite directions. With both hands hold leaves a little over half of the way along their length. At that point bend them so that they are parallel lengthwise and also overlap each other. This should produce a leaf pouch. Hold firmly with one hand. Add about halfway with glutinous rice then mushroom. Then fill it up with more glutinous rice. Compress it with a spoon. Then overlap the leaves and tie with the butcher’s twine or strong cotton string.

4. Place dumplings in a pot filled with water and boil for 2-3 hours. Be sure to check the water levels as to not burn the dumplings. After boiling, place in cold water for about an hour. You may serve hot or cold.