Traditional 粽子 (Zongzi) & The Duanwu Festival

粽子 (zongzi) is a particular food you can eat in some dim sums restaurants and also buy at local Chinese shops. It is made of glutinous rice and filled with various toppings, then it is wrapped inside a bamboo leaf. My favorite zongzi is filled with red beans.

This food, despite being generally always available in dim sum restaurants and in Chinese markets, is traditionally eaten during a specific event: the Duanwu (or Dragon Boat Festival). This festival has ancient origins from the bad beliefs about the 5th month of the lunar calendar. The most modern consideration of the festival sees it as a dragon worship: in this case zongzi are considered offers to the dragon. Anyway there are so many legends about this festival. Eating the zongzi all together is the key celebration of Duanwu Festival.

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