Zongzi

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zongzi are triangular in shape, especially in southern China .
( 角 粽 , jiǎozòng  - "angular Zongzi")

Zongzi ( Chinese  粽子 , Pinyin zòngzǐ ), or Zong ( 粽 , zòng ) for short , is a traditional Chinese dish made from glutinous rice . It was created at the time of the Warring States . To this day, they are traditionally eaten in China for the Dragon Boat Festival , the Duānwǔjié ( 端午節  /  端午节 ), on the 5th day of the 5th month according to the traditional Chinese calendar . On this day you go home and traditionally spend the party together with the family, e.g. B. the dragon boat race .

history

The story of the Zongzi is related to the poet and politician Qu Yuan . He was sincere, a respected popular aristocratic member of the Chu ( 楚 , chǔ ) royal family among the people . He was exiled because of his political opinions that contradicted the royal court. After years of exile and grief, he drowned himself in the Miluo River . The people who worshiped Qu Yuan are said to have prepared zongzi and tossed it into the river in the hope that his body would not be eaten by the fish. Therefore, there is the term "in Chinese Chuzong " meaning "Zongzi of Chu" ( 楚粽 , chǔzòng ) to the poet and politician from the kingdom of Chu ( 楚國  /  楚国 , Chǔguó ) to remember. Since then, it has become a Chinese tradition to prepare and eat zongzi on this day of the year. There are also the traditions of dragon boating . Oral tradition has it that the loud drumming while rowing, in addition to serving as a clock, is said to drive fish away from the water so that they do not eat the body of their beloved Qu Yuan. The origin of this tradition in memory of the sincere famous poet and politician from distant times has become an important family festival with a sporting event over the course of history.

description

Zongzi preparation, Hainan

Zongzi shapes vary between northern and southern China. The southern traditional form usually has an angular tetrahedron shape ( 四角 粽 , sìjiǎozòng  - "Zongzi with four corners"). In contrast, there is also the northern elongated Zongzi ( 長 粽  /  长 粽 , chángzòng ) or other regional special forms. The preparation of Zongzi is taught within the family. Everyone is invited to help prepare the zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival day . Traditional zongzi are wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves and are usually tied with cords made of plant fibers. In different regions different leaves or strings are used, each of which can produce a different taste. Basically, Zongzi can be differentiated according to content between vegetarian ( 素 粽 , sùzòng ) and non-vegetarian ( 肉粽 , ròuzòng ) or according to taste between sweet ( 甜 粽 , tián zòng ) and salty ( 鹹 粽  /  咸 粽 , xián zòng ). There are also the Laugenzongzi ( 鹼水 粽  /  碱水 粽 , jiǎnshuǐzòng ). The filling of Zongzi also varies from region to region. The most common is simple sticky rice ( 糯米 , nuòmǐ ). In northern China, the fillings usually contain Chinese dates and adzuki beans, which give the zongzi its sweet taste. In the south, diced salty pork or roast pork in small pieces as well as chicken and mushrooms are usually added, which gives the Zongzi a slightly salty taste. When all the preparations are done, you have to steam the zongzi for a few hours until they are ready to be eaten.

Ingredients and fillings

Fillings 1.JPG
The filling is varied.
Two Zongzi styles.jpg
Zongzi can be oblong or angular, salty or sweet, it depends on the region.

The following choices of ingredients are most common:

Variations

Zongizi from Vietnam
Banh chung vuong.jpg
Vietnamese Bánh chưng - Hán Nôm : 餅 粽
Bánh chưng.jpg
Vietnamese Zongzi - Bánh chưng - rectangular shape
China (mainland)

There is a wide variety of different zongzi in mainland China. The type of preparation, the fillings and the taste vary from region to region. There are the following types:

In the north (North China)

Zongzi is prepared steamed with reed leaves. The taste of the fillings is usually sweet. However, salty fillings are also known in the north. They are usually a little smaller than the southern Zongzi variant.

In the south (South China)

Zongzi are often larger in the south than in the north. In preparation, they are usually boiled in hot water and wrapped in bamboo leaves. One type of the typical southern zongzi is Jiaxing-Zongzi ( 嘉興 粽  /  嘉兴 粽 , jiāxīngzòng ). The name is derived from the city of Jiaxing . Jiaxing zongzi usually contain salty pork, white sticky rice, and adzuki beans for filling .

In Taiwan

In Taiwan, zongzi is prepared in a similar way to that in the southern provinces of China. But there are also differences within Taiwan. In the south the Zongzi are oily and salty than in the north. In both the north and south, nuts, fine meat, and even fish meat are often added.

In other regions of the world

Zongzi have spread from China to other regions of Asia, e.g. For example, in Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam, people eat the Zongzi festival.

Meaning of the zongzi

Zongzi have a special cultural meaning for the Chinese. Zongzi are not only a popular food, they also represent an emotional and family connection. At the Dragon Boat Festival you go home and spend the day with the family. There are many poems about this festival. Zongzi are a symbol of family gathering or unity. If you can't go home that day, your thoughts are with your family. Zongzi are therefore not only a traditional Chinese food, but also a cultural symbol.

North-South Debate: The “Real” Zongzi

In China, a topic has become popular in recent years: what is the real taste of zongzi? According to the Chinese from the north, the taste must be sweet. In contrast, the Chinese from the south prefer salty zongzi. It is said that if you want to find out someone's origin, you just have to ask whether someone prefers sweet or salty zongzi.

Trivia

On the American continent there is a traditional Indian dish made from corn dough, similar to the zongzi, called tamale .

Please refer

Web links

Commons : Category: Zongzi  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The origin of zongzi ( Memento from May 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), In: paper.sznews.com, accessed on March 27, 2019
  2. ↑ a b 帥克 - "Shuàikè": 「粽子 不是 華人 的 專利 ， 看 日本 、 越南 、 印尼 、 泰國 這些 國家 的「 粽子 們 」-" Zongzi is not a patent of the Chinese, take a look at the "Zongzi friends" in Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand ”. In: t17.techbang.com. May 31, 2014, Retrieved May 8, 2017 (Chinese).