Thursday 13 March 2008

Rice Dumpling (Bakchang / Zhongzi)



The triangular dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves is called "bakchang" (in Hokkien dialect) or "zhongzi" (in Mandarin). We used to eat them only during DuanWu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival), held on the 5th day of the fifth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. These days, however, we can easily buy them from any of our night market any day.
These dumplings are made with glutinuous rice and has savoury (diced meat, mushroom, dried oysters, dried prawns, chestnuts & beans) or sweet (red beans) fillings or the plain one which is eaten with "kaya" (coconut milk jam) or dipped into castor sugar. The plain one in this photo is the small ones with un-oily light coloured wrapper.
It's great to have this dumplings for meal especially for breakfast with a cup of Kopi-O (local version of roast coffee with sugar). Yum Yum!
Do you like eating Zhongzi? And what filling do you like most?

2 comments:

Kim said...

Oh, you are making me so hungry! I do love stuffed dumplings, but have never had them Malaysian style. I'd like to try the savory one first, please. :-)
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

Unknown said...

i love the nyonya style ones. i think my mum makes the best! hehe..

in fact, i have some deep frozen in my freezer, i might just eat them tonite!

"Use your first smile, your first form of generosity, of love, of kindness—use it at home; start at home. And if there is something left over—if … your plate is just full of abundance of patience and goodness and smiles and joy, then by all means, you should go … and offer that to others. But we must begin at home." by Dr Robin Smith