The style of Chinese Zongzi

Due to different regions, the materials and even the leaves of Zongzi are very different, and even the shape of "wrapping" is also very different. For example, in the early days, people used ox horns to worship heaven, so most of the zongzi in the Han and Jin dynasties were made into horns, as one of the articles for ancestor worship. In addition, there are generally various shapes such as equilateral triangles, equilateral quadrilaterals, pointed triangles, squares, and elongated shapes.

Due to the different eating habits in different places, Zongzi has formed a northern and southern flavor. Zongzi in the north is mostly made of glutinous rice and eaten with white sugar or brown sugar. Zongzi in Beijing is the representative variety of Zongzi in the north.

Zongzi in Beijing is a large, oblique quadrangle or triangle. Most of the products available in the market are glutinous rice dumplings. In rural areas, it is still customary to eat rhubarb rice dumplings. Sticky and fragrant, it has a special flavor. Most Zongzi in Beijing are filled with red dates and bean paste, and a few are also filled with preserved fruit.

The representative variety of southern Zongzi is Zongzi Zongzi, which has pyramid, strip and triangular cone shapes. The main varieties include salted meat zongzi, Jianshui zongzi, Dousha zongzi, etc. Among them, salted meat zongzi is the most popular. Salted meat zongzi mainly uses glutinous rice, pork belly, and mung beans. Some also add salted egg yolks, winter mushrooms, shrimp, scallops, chestnuts, peanuts, and other ingredients as filling. The taste is salty, fresh, and fragrant, with a better flavor.

Regionally, Zongzi also includes Zhaoqing steamed dumplings, Taishan dumplings, Dongguan Daojiao dumplings, Zhongshan Ludou dumplings, Chaoshan double cooked dumplings, Hakka grey water dumplings, Zhanjiang clam dumplings.

The Zongzi in the south of the Yangtze River is the most famous, and its practices are also complex, especially the stuffing, which varies widely. A major difference between Zongzi in the north and Zongzi in the south is that the glutinous rice raw materials are usually pre soaked with straw grey soup, steamed with meat stuffing, and smell delicious.

Huzhou zongzi has a unique elongated shape, resembling a pillow, hence the name "pillow zongzi". It is also known as "beautiful zongzi" due to its slender body, concave in the middle, and upturned at both ends, which has beautiful lines and is small and elegant. Huzhou zongzi is mostly handmade and very exquisite; There are also various ingredients used, such as soy sauce, fresh meat, bean paste, egg yolks, etc. Nowadays, the famous Zongzi in Huzhou includes Zhenyuantong, Zhu Laoda, etc.

The Zongzi produced in Jiaxing, south of the Yangtze River, is the most famous one in China. Jiaxing Zongzi enjoyed a high reputation as early as the Qing Dynasty.