Jingxi Zongba (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

Jingxi Zongba

　　As the Spring Festival approaches, every household is busy brushing bamboo leaves, soaking glutinous rice, chopping pork, and preparing seasonings to make “Feng” (逢). “Feng” is the Zhuang language term used in Jingxi, meaning glutinous rice dumplings, also called zongba. As a food, it has a long history in China. However, the zongba made by the Zhuang people of Jingxi is different from those elsewhere — large, fragrant, generously sized, well-proportioned, and made with meticulous ingredients. The glutinous rice used in Jingxi is pearly white, soft, and fragrant. When made into zongba and boiled, even if kept for half a month or even a full month, they remain as deliciously fragrant as when first made.

　　There is a legend about the origin of zongba: In ancient times, there was a clever and inquisitive boy named Yifeng who always thought deeply about things. The baskets, sieves, and traps he wove were more exquisite, beautiful, and practical than those made by others. One New Year’s Eve, dinner wasn’t ready yet, and Yifeng wanted to go out to play, but it was already very dark. He thought, how wonderful it would be if the moon would come out so he and his friends could play together. Or even if there wasn’t a real moon, a fake one would do. He noticed that during festivals, people often made all kinds of things with glutinous rice — “rice bands” on the 15th of July, mooncakes on the 15th of August, and glutinous rice cakes on the Frost’s Descent Festival. Why not make a “moon” out of glutinous rice too?

　　Yifeng shared this idea with his parents. His father said, “Go ahead and try. It’s a festival, and playing around is fine.”

　　Yifeng shaped some glutinous rice into an oval form, like a cucumber — not quite like a moon. Then he tried shaping it round, like a small pumpkin, and placed it on the leaves his mother had laid out. But before he could fully let go, the “moon” collapsed into a small pile of glutinous rice. Not discouraged, Yifeng improved his method. He decided to soak the glutinous rice in water, then wrap it in broad leaves and tie it securely with thin string before boiling it. When it was finally opened and eaten, the taste was especially sweet and delicious — the combined fragrance of the bamboo leaves and glutinous rice. Both his parents praised it, saying it was absolutely delicious.

　　The following New Year’s Eve, Yifeng refined his technique by using half-fat, half-lean pork as filling, which made it even tastier. When relatives and friends came to Yifeng’s home and tasted this uniquely flavored food, many began to imitate the recipe. Later, to commemorate Yifeng, this food was named “Feng” (逢), and the leaves were called “Dongfeng” (粽叶, zong leaves). It became an indispensable food for the Spring Festival and a treasured gift to give to family and friends.

　　Over time, Jingxi’s zongba have been continuously improved by later generations, resulting in even more unique flavors. Whether in color, taste, shape, ingredients, or preparation methods, they differ from those elsewhere, featuring a wide variety of types and flavors.

　　“Fengme” (母粽, Mother Zong). Typically, the zongba made by the Zhuang people of Jingxi weigh one or two jin (approximately 500g–1kg) each. These large zongba are different from the triangular zongzi eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. They are shaped like plump pillows, with fillings such as mung beans, bamboo beans, or pork. Besides the usual one or two jin zongba, during the Spring Festival, every household in Jingxi makes one or two particularly huge “Fengme,” each using as little as three or four jin (1.5–2kg) of rice or as much as eight or nine jin (4–4.5kg). The filling includes pork trotters or pork, making them absolute “giants.” Making these giant “Fengme” requires the cooperation of two people. After wrapping, two people must carry them carefully and slowly lower them into a big pot. Once cooked, it takes two or three people to lift them out. From New Year’s Eve, the “Fengme” are placed on the ancestral altar to honor ancestors and remain there until the 15th day. On the 16th day of the first lunar month, the “Fengme” are reheated, a chicken is slaughtered, and a feast is held for another ancestor worship ceremony before they can be unwrapped. On that day, families invite their married daughters and grandchildren back to the family home, and those with new sons-in-law specially invite them to join in eating the “Fengme.” After splitting the “Fengme” open, they are distributed according to seniority from oldest to youngest, and then shared. It is believed that observing this custom ensures peace and good fortune in the new year.

　　Bamboo Cage Zongba. People in border areas of Jingxi such as Longbang, Anning, and Napore enjoy making special bamboo cage zongba, which are used to entertain relatives on the 10th day of the first lunar month and given as gifts to family and friends. They are uniquely shaped, with an oily surface and fragrant interior, not too soft nor too hard, and have a long shelf life. The method of making them is as follows: (1) Select strips of Indocalamus leaf bamboo to weave a cage approximately 20 inches long, six inches in height and width, with steeply sloped ends and an opening at the bottom. Leave six-inch bamboo strips at the edges of the opening for sealing. (2) Rinse 20 jin (10kg) of glutinous rice 3–4 times with cold water to remove impurities and sand. Soak the rice until the grains swell, then drain the water. Add an appropriate amount of borax solution and a small quantity of salt, and mix well. (3) Cut three jin (1.5kg) of fatty pork into slices, place in a basin, and sprinkle with an appropriate amount of pepper powder, five-spice powder, sand ginger powder, MSG, and roasted and ground peanut powder. Pour in two liangs (100g) of cooking wine and a little salt, then rub and mix everything by hand. Let it marinate for about half an hour. (4) Turn the cage opening upward, line the inside bottom and sides with zong leaves, pour in a layer of glutinous rice, then add several slices of pork. Repeat this process about ten times until the cage is full. Wrap the top with two layers of zong leaves, seal the opening with woven bamboo strips, and place it in a large earthenware pot (or cast iron pot). Boil for a full day and night. To eat, use a sharp knife to cut the bamboo strips in a straight line, pull them out, unwrap the zong leaves, and enjoy the delicious bamboo cage zongba.

　　Straw Ash Zongba. People in areas like Longbang and Anning love making straw ash zongba. These zongba turn grayish-blue after being boiled. There are two reasons for dyeing them this color: one is to avoid the color white during the New Year, and the other is that straw ash-dyed zongba are less likely to cause stomach upset, are not easily tiresome to eat, have preservative effects, and can be kept twice as long as regular zongba. The method for making these is similar to normal zongba, except that the rice is mixed with straw ash (preferably from glutinous rice straw). The tips of the straw are burned into ash, mixed into the glutinous rice, stirred evenly, and then combined with an appropriate amount of wine (just enough to moisten). After mixing and sifting out the straw ash powder, the glutinous rice turns gray-black and becomes gray-blue after boiling. This type of zongba is soft but not mushy, glossy in color, tender yet not sticky, refreshing and delicious without being greasy.

　　For the Zhuang people, making zongba is mainly for the New Year. The zongba symbolize unity, harmony, sweetness, and good fortune. Aside from the New Year zongba, there are also various types of zongba in Jingxi with special meanings.

　　In the past, when children reached school age, on the first day of school, parents would make a special plate of zongba for them. Some were square-shaped, called “Seal Zong” (印粽), stacked into a pagoda shape, symbolizing that the child would one day “attain high rank and hold a seal.” Others were long and pen-shaped, called “Pen Zong” (笔粽), a homophone for “sure to pass” (必中), signifying that the child would definitely succeed in exams.

　　Each Jingxi family makes dozens of New Year zongba. Not many are eaten at home. Aside from those used for ancestor worship, the rest are hung in pairs beside the door, on beams, or next to the stove. From the second to the 15th day of the first lunar month, these zongba are given as valuable gifts to visiting relatives and friends, while the family’s own beams also accumulate zongba gifted by others.

　　Thus, the practices of making, boiling, and giving zongba during the New Year have become a custom filled with deep familial and friendly affection.