Zong Zi – Sticky Rice Dumpling

Let’s make is Zong Zi (粽子), also known as Sticky Rice Dumpling, the best recipe for celebrating Dragon Boat Festival. Unwrap one, and you’ll get that super refreshing smell of rich fatty pork, fragrant shiitake mushrooms, and steamed bamboo leaves. This is a simplified version of my grandma’s traditional Northern Taiwanese recipe, and I go through all the beginner tips and tricks for the perfectly wrapped Zong Zi.

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Sticky Rice Dumplings

• What is Zong Zi 粽子?
  • Different Types of Zong Zi
• Grandma’s Recipe for Traditional Taiwanese Zong Zi
• Sticky Rice Dumpling Ingredients
  • Glutinous Rice
  • Bamboo Leaf
  • Pork Belly
  • Peanuts
  • Taiwanese Dried Radish & Dried Shrimp
• Planning Your Zong Zi Wrapping In Bulk A Day Ahead
• Steaming, Freezing, and Reheating Your Zong Zi
• Step By Step Guide on Making Zong Zi

Jump to Recipe

What is Zong Zi 粽子?

If you have never had Zong Zi (粽子)  before, it is almost like an Asian Tamales. You first wrap sticky rice, meat, nuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients inside bamboo leaf, and steam it. The glutinous rice soaks up all the flavor from the bamboo leaf and meat juices, becoming super savory and delicious.

Different Types of Zong Zi

There’s many different forms to Zong Zi, with different regional differences and preferences. Some areas prefer seafood inside, while others have a sweet variety stuffed with red beans.

Even in Taiwan, there are regional differences. Northern Taiwanese Zong Zi are wrapped with cooked sticky rice, and then steamed. On the other hand, Southern Taiwanese Zong Zi are wrapped with uncooked sticky rice instead, then boiled until fully cooked.

Grandma’s Recipe for Traditional Taiwanese Zong Zi

This particular Zong Zi recipe has been passed down from my great-grandma in Taiwan and is a traditional Northern Taiwanese recipe. I have simplified the recipe so it is easy for beginners like me!

To be honest, this is my and my mom’s first time wrapping Zong Zi (粽子) since immigrating to Canada 16 years ago. Growing up in Taiwan, my grandma made Zong Zi for us every year to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival.

My grandma initially told us that the recipe could make 20 Zong Zi, but it is hard to find such large bamboo leaves in Canada, so we wrapped 40 smaller Zong Zi instead.

If this is your first time, wrapping small ones is a lot easier. 

She is such a master at wrapping Zong Zi that I never realized how hard it was to wrap them until I made them myself. Like many grandmas, she always told us there was no need to learn because when we craved it, she would just make it for us. But now, as I am getting older, I wish I could fly back and re-learn all her recipes and traditions. 

Sticky Rice Dumpling Ingredients

Glutinous Rice

• Soak the glutinous rice overnight with water. This step is crucial to ensure that the Zong Zi is “cooked” and not soggy. 
• Cook the glutinous rice with the meat sauce to flavor the rice. Let the rice soak up as much sauce as possible on medium-low heat like risotto. Don’t over stir the rice as you don’t want the rice to “break.” 

Bamboo Leaf

• Go to Asian supermarkets or Chinese herbal stalls to pick up a high-quality bamboo leaf. AMAZON
• I recommend finding bamboo leaves that are long and wide. The bigger the leaf, the easier it is to wrap the Zong Zi. 
• Soak the Bamboo Leaves OVERNIGHT. This step is crucial to ensure that the leaf doesn’t break and rip when wrapping them. I forgot this step a couple of years ago, and it was impossible to wrap. 

Pork Belly

• Prepare the pork belly the day of since you will be using the sauce to make the mushroom and rice. 
• Cut pork belly into bite-size pieces so it will be easier to wrap. 

Peanuts

• Wash and soak the peanuts for at least 2 hours.
• Cook the peanuts in the same sauce as the pork belly for 45 minutes. 

Taiwanese Dried Radish & Dried Shrimp

• Both of these ingredients are super SALTY. First, rinse the ingredients, then soak in clean water for 2 hours. Changing the water every hour. 

Planning Your Zong Zi Wrapping In Bulk A Day Ahead

I will be honest, wrapping Zong Zi is NOT EASY. Even though it took my mom and me two days to finish wrapping our Zong Zi, the process was worth it because you can taste the love and hard work behind it. The day before, make sure to soak your bamboo leaves and your sticky rice.

Highly recommend preparing the Zong Zi in BULK since it is such a time-consuming activity. In fact, I recommend doing some prep work a day ahead. Then, invite friends and family to wrap a ton of rice dumplings together as a fun family activity and tradition to share. Just make sure to prep the rest of the ingredients before they arrive!

Steaming, Freezing, and Reheating Your Zong Zi

Steam all the Zong Zi once you are done wrapping. To make it easier, I sometimes tie all of the Zong Zi strings together in a bundle so you can lift them all at once.

Once they cool down, you can store them in the freezer until you are ready to eat. When ready to enjoy, re-heat the Zong Zhi by steaming it for 10 minutes or until it is warmed up. 

Step By Step Guide on Making Zong Zi

Bamboo Leaf

1. Rinse the bamboo leaf, making sure to be gentle to prevent them from tearing and breaking. 
2. Soak the bamboo leaf with enough water to cover all the leaves overnight. 
3. Drain and set aside. 

Pork Belly 

1. Prepare the Pork Belly by cutting the pork belly into 20 bite-size pieces. 
2. Turn the heat to medium and pan-fry the pork belly for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 
3. Pour in soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, garlic, star anise, and water. 
4. Turn the heat to medium-low and put the lid on to cook for 25 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye out to prevent burning. Add more water if needed. 
5. Remove the pork belly to cool down, and keep the sauce for the next step. 

Glutinous Rice

1. Soak the rice overnight with enough water to cover all the rice. The rice will double in size, so make sure to use a large container. Strain the rice and set it aside. 
2. Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the rice. Pour in around 2 cups of the pork belly sauce, ¼ cup at a time so the rice absorbs the sauce slowly. 
3. Make sure not to stir too fast and “break” the rice. The goal is to make sure the rice soaks up all the sauce. 

Peanuts 

1. Wash and soak the uncooked peanuts for 2 hours. 
2. Add the peanuts into a pot, and add ¼ cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 1 cup of water. 
3. Simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until peanuts are soft. 

Shiitake Mushroom

1. Soak the shiitake mushroom with hot water once or until mushrooms are soft. 
2. In a pan, add the mushroom, and turn the heat to medium-high.
3. Saute the mushroom for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. 
4. Pour in around ½ cup of the pork belly sauce and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushroom soaks up all the sauce. 

Dried Shrimp and Dried Radish

1. Rinse the dried shrimp and dried Radish separately.
2. Soak in two separate bowls for 2 hours. Make sure to change the water every hour. Drain and set aside. 
3. Add 1.5 tbsp of oil to a pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and add sliced shallots.
4. Pan-fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant, and add in dried shrimp and turnip. 
5. Season with white pepper and five-spice powder and saute on high heat for another 1-2 minutes. 

Wrapping Zong Zi 

1. Get two pieces of the bamboo leaf and layer them on top of each other. You want the two wider ends of the leaf to be on the opposite side. 
2. Push the middle of the leaf downward and inwards to make a cone-like shape. Hold it tightly with your hands to prevent the fillings from spilling out. 

1. Start with around 1.5 tbsp of the rice. Push the rice down the cone, so it is tightly packed. 
2. Add in all the filling above based on your preference. I like to add around one piece of pork belly, one piece of mushroom, and 0.5 tbsp of the peanuts and dried shrimp and turnip. 
3. Finish off by adding another 1.5 tbsp of rice, pressing them down tightly. Add another piece of shiitake mushroom on top. 

1. Fold the top of the leaf down to close the cone. Make sure to still tightly hold the bottom of the cone to prevent the fillings from spilling out. 
2. Once it has folded, wrap the rest of the leaf around using your thumbs to ensure all the openings are closed and secured. 
3. Wrap with the string 2 to 3 times around the Zong Zi and tightly tie a knot to secure everything. 
4. If you are a beginner, wrap the Zong Zi with individual strings and then tie them all together at the end. However, if you are experienced, you can tie the strings together ahead of time and continue to tie them around the strings. 
5. Steam the Zong Zi for 1 hour. Let it rest for 10 minutes before enjoying it. 

Zong Zi (粽子)

By Tiffy Cooks

5 from 1 vote

This is Zong Zi (粽子), also known as Sticky Rice Dumpling, also known as what you eat to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival. If you have never had Zong Zi (粽子) before, it is kinda similar to Tamales. You wrap sticky rice, meat, nuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients inside the bamboo leaf, and you steam it. The glutinous rice soaks up all the flavor from the bamboo leaf and meat juices, becoming super savory and delicious. This Zong Zi recipe has been passed down from my great-grandma in Taiwan and is a traditional Taiwanese recipe. I have simplified the recipe so it is easy for beginners.

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Prep Time:1 day d

Cook Time:3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time:1 day d 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian Food, Asian Recipe Easy, Asian Recipes, Asian Recipes for Dinner, Authentic asian recipes, Chinese Food, dinner Ideas, Easy, Easy Recipes, Street Food, Taiwanese Food, Taiwanese Recipes

Servings: 20 Zong Zi

Calories: 360kcal

Ingredients

• 40 Bamboo Leaf
• 800 g Glutinous Rice
• 40 Dry Shiitake Mushroom Soaked for 1 hour
• 4 shallots sliced
• 0.5 tbsp White Pepper
• 1 tbsp Five-Spice Powder
• ¼ cup Dried Shrimp soaked based on the above tips
• 0.5 cup Dried Turnip soaked based on the above tips

Peanuts

• 1 cup Peanuts washed and soaked
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 1 cup Water

Pork Belly

• 1 lb Pork Belly
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 3.5 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• ½ cup Chinese Cooking Wine optional
• 2-3 cups Water
• 2 Star Anise
• 5 cloves Garlic smashed

Instructions

Bamboo Leaf

• Rinse the bamboo leaf, making sure to be gentle to prevent them from tearing and breaking.
• Soak the bamboo leaf with enough water to cover all the leaves overnight.
• Drain and set aside.
  

Pork Belly

• Prepare the Pork Belly by cutting the pork belly into 20 bite-size pieces.
• Turn the heat to medium and pan-fry the pork belly for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
• Pour in soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, garlic, star anise, and water.
• Turn the heat to medium-low and put the lid on to cook for 25 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye out to prevent burning. Add more water if needed.
• Remove the pork belly to cool down, and keep the sauce for the next step.
  

Glutinous Rice

• Soak the rice overnight with enough water to cover all the rice. The rice will double in size, so make sure to use a large container. Strain the rice and set it aside.
• Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the rice. Pour in around 2 cups of the pork belly sauce, ¼ cup at a time so the rice absorbs the sauce slowly. 
• Make sure not to stir too fast and “break” the rice. The goal is to make sure the rice soaks up all the sauce.
  

Peanuts

• Wash and soak the uncooked peanuts for 2 hours.
• Add the peanuts into a pot, and add ¼ cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 1 cup of water.
• Simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until peanuts are soft.

Shiitake Mushroom

• Soak the shiitake mushroom with hot water once or until mushrooms are soft.
• In a pan, add the mushroom, and turn the heat to medium-high.
• Saute the mushroom for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
• Pour in around ½ cup of the pork belly sauce and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushroom soaks up all the sauce.
  

Dried Shrimp and Dried Turnip

• Rinse the dried shrimp and fried turnip separately.
• Soak in two separate bowls for 2 hours. Make sure to change the water every hour. Drain and set aside.
• Add 1.5 tbsp of oil to a pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and add sliced shallots.
• Pan-fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant, and add in dried shrimp and turnip.
• Season with white pepper and five-spice powder and saute on high heat for another 1-2 minutes.
  

Wrapping Zong Zi

• Get two pieces of the bamboo leaf and layer them on top of each other. You want the two wider ends of the leaf to be on the opposite side.
  
• Push the middle of the leaf downward and inwards to make a cone-like shape. Hold it tightly with your hands to prevent the fillings from spilling out.
• Start with around 1.5 tbsp of the rice. Push the rice down the cone, so it is tightly packed.
  
• Add in all the filling above based on your preference. I like to add around one piece of pork belly, one piece of mushroom, and 0.5 tbsp of the peanuts and dried shrimp and turnip.
• Finish off by adding another 1.5 tbsp of rice, pressing them down tightly. Add another piece of shiitake mushroom on top.
• Fold the top of the leaf down to close the cone. Make sure to still tightly hold the bottom of the cone to prevent the fillings from spilling out.
  
• Once it has folded, wrap the rest of the leaf around using your thumbs to ensure all the openings are closed and secured.
• Wrap with the string 2 to 3 times around the Zong Zi and tightly tie a knot to secure everything.
• If you are a beginner, wrap the Zong Zi with individual strings and then tie them all together at the end. However, if you are experienced, you can tie the strings together ahead of time and continue to tie them around the strings.
  
• Steam the Zong Zi for 1 hour. Let it rest for 10 minutes before enjoying it.

Video

Notes

Steam all the Zong Zi once you are done wrapping, and once they cool down, you can store them in the freezer until you are ready to eat. When ready to enjoy, re-heat the Zong Zhi by steaming it for 10 minutes or until it is warmed up.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 806mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg