The Tuanwu Festival (端午節) falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It is commonly known as the Dragon Boat Festival, in reference to the Dragon Boat races that are the most dramatic part of the festival. But another inseparable element of the Tuanwu Festival are tzongtze (粽子), or glutinous rice dumplings.
Legend tells that tzongtze were thrown into the Milo River where the poet Chu Yuan (屈原) drowned himself out of desperation over the policies of the kingdom of Chu (楚), of which he had been prime minister. The tzongtze were thrown into the river so the fish would not desecrate his body.
Originally tzongtze were probably little more than balls of glutinous rice cooked in bamboo leaves, but it is hardly surprising that with Chinese people's love of fine cuisine, an elaborate tradition developed around the food, with a dizzying range of specialty styles and regional variations.
Many kinds of tzongtze can be found in Taiwan. One of the basic distinctions in tzongtze, as in innumerable other things in Taiwan, is between northern and southern variations. In the south, ingredients are boiled and semi-cooked before wrapping and then are further boiled. In the north, ingredients are first fried, then steamed and fully cooked before wrapping and are then steamed again.
Although bamboo leaves are the most common leaves used in wrapping tzongtze, wallflower leaves, lotus leaves, plantain leaves and peach leaves are also used. The types of rice used also vary considerably, producing a wide range of tastes and textures. To discover how wide the range, check out these stores that manufacture specialty tzongtze.
* Taipei City: Four Happiness Hometown Tzong (四喜家鄉粽) specializes in Chaozhou-style tzongtze (潮州粽). This is a pillow-shaped tzongtze and is available in sweet and salty varieties, the former filled with red bean paste, the latter with a slice of lean meat.
According to the second generation owner of this 30-year-old store Chang Chia-huan (張家歡), the pork is stewed for three hours, after which the rice is mixed with the pork juices before wrapping the rice and meat in bamboo leaves. The tzongtze are then boiled for five hours. The sweet version is also delicious, as the soft rice and bean paste seem to melt together.
Four Happiness Hometown Tzong is located at 2F-46, 60, Hsinyi Rd., Taipei City (台北市信義路四段60-46號2樓), tel (02) 2701-4179.
* Taipei County: The Liu Family Meat Tzong (劉家肉粽) in Shihmen Township (石門鄉) is another tzongtze store that has been in operation for over 30 years. Liu Kuo-sheng (劉國勝), the owner, said the store uses 1000kg of glutinous rice in making tzongtze each day. The Liu Family Meat Tzong is famous for offering huge tzongtze in a variety of flavors for a very reasonable price, and Liu says the store sells about 10,000 of the delicacy every day. The secret, according to some customers, is the addition of mince radish, which gives the tzongtze a unique and appetizing aroma. The Lius also sell mini-tzongtze for NT$10 each so tourists can try several flavors.
Liu Family Meat Tzong is located at 30 Chungyang Rd., Shihmen Hsiang, Taipei County (台北縣石門鄉中央路30號), tel (02) 2638-1088 or (02) 2638-1078.
* Hsinchu: Chen Family Meat Tzong and Ketzong King (成家肉粽粿粽大王) has been in operation for more than 80 years. Chen Family zhongzi fall under the northern variety, as the store first fries the seasoning and glutinous rice together, then fries the filling before wrapping all the ingredients in leaves and then steaming them as the final step. The fillings include Chinese mushrooms, egg yolk, lean meat and chestnuts. Another specialty tzongtze -- ketzong (粿粽) -- is a hakka variety in which the sticky rice is ground and used as a wrap into which the filling is placed. The whole is then double wrapped in leaves and steamed.
RSS