Rice Dumpling Festival

I had "zhong chi " for lunch at my office today. Zhong chi or also zong zi in Mandarin is glutinous rice dumpling with fillings wrapped with leaves. Eating zhong chi is associated with a traditional Chinese celebration of Duen Ng Jit (Cantonese) or better known as Duan Wu Festival (in Mandarin). In English, it is poplarly known as the Dragon Boat Festival (see wikipedia).

I remember when I was in primary school, my mother used to prepare the ingredients to make zhong chi. First she had to cook the fillings, usually pork, mushroom and an assortment of beans. Then she filled the ingredients in to the prepared glutinous rice. Next, she had to wrap them with leaves and secured them with strings. Finally, the dumplings were cooked in a boiling pot. I was always assigned to watch out for her. As soon as the dumplings floated on the boiling water, I called out to her and she would retrieve them. That means the dumpling was fully cooked. It sounds simple but the cooking process is tedious.

Duan Wu Festival falls on this Thursday, 28 May 2009 this year. It is celebrated by Chinese around the world on the 5th day of 5th month on the Chinese lunar calendar every year. My mother do not make zhong chi anymore as it's too tiring for her. I really miss her dumpling. But luckily, my girlfriend and friends made some for me.

Today, not many in the younger generation appreciate Duan Wu Festival. Perhaps some have never even heard of this festival. It would be a shame if this traditional festival is lost on the younger children.

There are a few theories on the origin of Duan Wu Festival but the most popular legend is about a person named Qu Yan in ancient China. The festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (340 BC - 278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. A descendant of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance. Qu Yuan was accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered. Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.

It is said that the local people, who admired him, threw food into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

Here are some of the variety of dumplings.