Zong Zi Recipe

Rinse the glutinous rice in cold water until the water runs nearly clear. Drain and then soak the rice in 800 ml cold water for 4–6 hours or overnight.

After soaking, drain the rice thoroughly in a fine sieve. In a bowl, toss the drained rice with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly coated. Set aside.

Cut the pork into roughly 1/2-inch dice. In a bowl combine pork, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp five-spice powder, 1 tsp white pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch. Mix well and marinate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) in the refrigerator.

If using dried shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp: soak mushrooms until soft (20–30 minutes in warm water), squeeze dry and slice. Rehydrate dried shrimp and drain. Add mushrooms and shrimp to the marinated pork and mix to combine.

Rinse the bamboo leaves under running water to remove dust. Place leaves in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes to sterilize and soften. Turn off heat and leave leaves submerged until cool enough to handle (about 15–20 minutes). Drain and wipe dry. Discard any brittle or torn leaves. You want about 2 leaves per zong zi for strength.

Cut kitchen twine into 10 lengths about 30–40 cm each (or prepare strips of twine). Prepare a large pot for steaming or boiling with enough water to fully submerge wrapped zong zi (about 3 liters).

Take two softened bamboo leaves (overlap them with the shiny side inward). Fold them into a cone shape by bringing one end down and folding the other leaf around it so a small cone pocket forms. Hold the cone in one hand.

Place about 2–3 tablespoons of the seasoned glutinous rice into the cone as a base (compact slightly).

Add about 1–2 tablespoons of the marinated pork mixture on top of the rice (add 1 mushroom slice or half salted egg yolk and chestnut if using).

Cover the filling with another 2–3 tablespoons of rice, pressing gently to compact but not overfill. Fold the top of the leaves down to close the cone and shape into a tight pyramid or rectangular parcel. Make sure no gaps remain.

Secure the parcel by wrapping kitchen twine around it two or three times and tying a firm knot. Repeat until all ingredients are used (should yield about 10 zong zi depending on size).

Place the wrapped zong zi in the large pot. Add enough water to fully submerge the parcels and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil/simmer, cover, and cook for 2.5–3 hours. Maintain water level by adding boiling water as needed so the parcels remain submerged.

Alternatively, you can steam the zong zi for 4–5 hours. For boiling, start timing once the water has returned to a gentle boil after adding the parcels.

When cooked, turn off heat and let zong zi sit in the hot water for 15–20 minutes to settle. Remove parcels with tongs and drain briefly on a rack.

Unwrap a zong zi by cutting the twine and peeling away leaves. Serve warm. Optional: serve with soy sauce or chili sauce for dipping.

Leftover cooked zong zi can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month. To reheat: steam until heated through (about 20–30 minutes from refrigerated, longer from frozen) or simmer in water for 20–40 minutes.