Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi

Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi

Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Also known as Wufangzhai Zongzi. A traditional specialty of Jiaxing. It was first created in 1939 by the "Wufangzhai" shop opened by Feng Changnian. There are now many varieties, but it is particularly famous for its fresh meat zongzi. The glutinous rice is first rinsed and mixed with high-quality soy sauce; the fresh meat is cut into chunks, then seasoned with salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, and other spices and kneaded evenly; the cleaned zongzi leaves are used as the outer wrapping to wrap the glutinous rice and meat chunks into triangular-shaped raw zongzi, which are then boiled over high heat for one hour in a pot and then simmered over low heat until cooked. It is characterized by a rich zongzi aroma, soft yet firm glutinous rice, and an oily, delicious taste. It is a long-renowned convenience food along the Shanghai-Hangzhou route and a popular gift for family and friends. In 1989, it won the Golden Tripod Award for High-Quality Products in the Catering Industry from the Ministry of Commerce. (Jiaxing)

　　Ingredients for making Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi:

　　1000 grams of glutinous rice, 600 grams of boneless pork leg meat, 5 grams of white liquor, 50 grams of red soy sauce, 28 grams of sugar, 25 grams of salt, 100 grams of zongzi leaves, 10 strands of grass string, a small amount of monosodium glutamate.

　　Characteristics of Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi:

　　Soft and not mushy, fatty but not greasy, tender meat with a fragrant taste.

　　Learn how to make Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi, and how to prepare it

　　1. Place the zongzi leaves in a pot of boiling water for 3–5 minutes, take them out, rinse with clean water, straighten, and drain the moisture.

　　2. Put the glutinous rice in a strainer, rinse it in clean water for 5 minutes, let it sit in the strainer for 15 minutes, then drain the water. Pour the rice into a basin, then add 20 grams of sugar, 15 grams of salt, and red soy sauce in sequence, and mix well.

　　3. Cut the pork leg meat into long strips of fat and lean sections along the grain, place them in another basin, then add the remaining sugar, salt, a small amount of monosodium glutamate, and white liquor. Rub the meat repeatedly until the seasonings penetrate the meat and white foam appears.

　　4. Hold two zongzi leaves in your left hand with the fuzzy side facing down, overlapping them by 1/5 of their width. With your right hand, take another zongzi leaf, also with the fuzzy side down, and overlap it by 1/3 at the tail end of the left leaves. Then, use your right hand to fold the leaves at the 2/5 point of their total length, aligning the sides and folding them down about 3 cm to form a funnel shape. Hold it with your left hand, use your right hand to add 40 grams of rice, two pieces of lean meat and one piece of fat meat, then cover with 6 grams of rice to cover the meat. Finally, fold the overhanging part of the zongzi leaves over to cover the rice and shape it into four corners, forming a short, stout rectangle. Wind the grass string around the formed zongzi 6 times with the tip facing down, then twist the two ends of the grass together 3 times and tuck them into the wrapped grass loop.

　　5. Place the zongzi in a pot of boiling water, adding enough water to cover them by 5 cm. Press them down with a bamboo rack and stones. After 2 hours, switch to low heat and simmer for 1 hour until cooked.

　　Key points for making Jiaxing Fresh Meat Zongzi:

　　1. The meat pieces should be cut into 6 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 1.6 cm thick cubes;

　　2. When boiling the zongzi in a pot of boiling water, use high heat and add water several times during cooking to ensure the zongzi are fully submerged to prevent undercooking.