Danzhou Zongzi

Danzhou Zongzi

Danzhou Zongzi is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Danzhou Zongzi is a specialty of Danzhou, Hainan.

　　Danzhou Zongzi is a traditional Han Chinese delicacy with a long history and unique flavors. It comes in a wide variety of types, is notably large in size, and is distinctive from its leaves to its fillings, especially renowned for varieties such as Fubo Shrimp and Red Fish Zongzi, Fragrant Meat Zongzi, Squid Zongzi, and Dried Scallop Zongzi. Danzhou Zongzi offers an appealing combination of color, aroma, and taste, and all its ingredients are guaranteed to be completely natural with no artificial additives. It has now become one of Hainan’s best-selling local specialties.

　　Danzhou Zongzi is one of Hainan Province’s three most well-known zongzi brands. With a long history, it enjoys fame both on and off the island, and is distinctive from its leaves to its fillings: Danzhou zongzi leaves and reed leaves are over a foot long, green in color, and fragrant. The zongzi come in a wide range of types and are notably large, made with ingredients such as pork belly, lean pork, streaky pork, chicken, salted duck eggs, beans, dried red dates, and shredded squid. When preparing the seasonings, a mix of alcohol, minced garlic, five-spice powder, MSG, and soy sauce is commonly used for marination. With deeper commercial development, Danzhou zongzi continues to innovate, with varieties such as Fubo Shrimp and Red Fish Zongzi, Dog Meat (Fragrant Meat) Zongzi, Squid Zongzi, and Dried Scallop Zongzi having established strong brand recognition.

　　The history of Danzhou Zongzi stretches back a long way. The tradition of making zongzi in the Danzhou area can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. “Danzhou Zongzi has a long history and unique flavors.” Historical records show that since the Han Dynasty, the Dan’er Commandery had already begun making zongzi.

　　In the first year of Yuanshou (110 BC), the Han Dynasty established the Zhuya and Dan’er commanderies on Hainan Island. Today’s Baimajing in Danzhou City got its name because the white horse of General Fubo stomped out an underground spring. The water from this well was used to steam zongzi filled with shrimp, hence the name “Fubo Shrimp Zongzi.”

　　During the Northern Song Dynasty, the literary master Su Dongpo was exiled to Dan’er, where he created the uniquely flavored “Dongpo Zongzi.” Su Dongpo spent three consecutive Dragon Boat Festivals in Dan’er. Each year, in addition to making traditional pork zongzi, he also taught locals how to make zongzi with beans, dried fish, shrimp, and duck eggs, using these as snacks to accompany drinks.

　　By the Southern Song Dynasty, the Taoist master Bai Yuchan, of the Southern Taoist School, went to Songlin Ridge in Qiongzhou to refine elixirs. He made plain zongzi and dipped them in honey, a method that became popular for a time.

　　By the Ming Dynasty, the Luoji region of Danzhou produced “Martial General” Fu Nanjin and “Jiaying General” Fu Nakuang. In their later years, after returning to their hometown in glory, they developed a liking for zongzi, which became the origin of “Luoji Zongzi.”

　　During the Anti-Japanese War, “Luoji Zongzi” saw new developments. A woman named Tang Sanpo ran a stall in town, using high-quality glutinous rice and various ingredients to make triangular zongzi. Their appealing color, aroma, and taste made “Luoji Zongzi” widely famous.

　　After the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening-up, the long-established Danzhou Zongzi has become a masterpiece. In recent years' Dragon Boat Festival fairs in Hainan, Danzhou Zongzi has been one of the best-selling local specialties.

　　According to the Dan County Annals, “Danzhou values the teachings of rites and righteousness, with the customs of China,” and “On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, people give each other pyramid-shaped rice dumplings, exchange various types of zongzi, men and women wear sachets, children have colorful threads tied around their arms, apply [powder], drink calamus wine, and hang willow and mugwort on their doors.”

　　Nowadays, wrapping zongzi and giving them as gifts has become a tradition. Some areas in Danzhou City still use zongzi as wedding gifts, where amid the lively sounds of celebration, the fragrance of zongzi intoxicates newlyweds and guests alike.

　　Danzhou Zongzi is distinctive from its leaves to its fillings: Danzhou zongzi leaves and reed leaves are over a foot long, green in color, and fragrant. The zongzi come in a wide range of types and are notably large, made with ingredients such as pork belly, lean pork, streaky pork, chicken, salted duck eggs, beans, dried red dates, and shredded squid. When preparing the seasonings, a mix of alcohol, minced garlic, five-spice powder, MSG, and soy sauce is commonly used for marination.

　　Zongzi Leaves

　　The leaves used for Danzhou Zongzi are generally indocalamus leaves, which are also known as spiderwort leaves.

　　Spiderwort, also called Aspidistra elatior, is known by other names such as Big Leaf Dumb Cane, Bamboo Leaf Plate, Nine-Dragon Plate, and Bamboo Joint Tendon. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family and the Aspidistra genus. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant with a rhizome that is nearly cylindrical, 5–10 mm in diameter, with nodes and scales. The leaves are solitary, spaced 1–3 cm apart, oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate to nearly elliptical, 21–46 cm long and 8–11 cm wide, tapering to a point at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, with slightly wavy edges, green on both sides, sometimes with faint yellow-white spots or stripes. It is mainly distributed in southern China as well as Hainan and Taiwan. The rhizome is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is a very widely applied medicinal ingredient. It can be harvested year-round, either dried or used fresh, and has benefits such as promoting blood circulation, resolving stasis, tonifying deficiency, and relieving cough. It aids in treating injuries from falls, rheumatic bone pain, lower back pain, lung deficiency cough, and hemoptysis.

　　Only fresh leaves are used, typically matched in size, and because they are always fresh, the rice in the zongzi takes on a greenish hue and a leafy fragrance. Since this type of leaf is abundantly produced in areas like Qiongzhong on Hainan Island but less so on the mainland, Danzhou Zongzi only uses fresh green leaves as ingredients—unlike many places on the mainland that recycle old leaves.

　　Glutinous Rice

　　The glutinous rice used in Danzhou Zongzi is all high-quality, locally grown rice. Danzhou boasts China’s only volcanic rock coastline, with vast volcanic rock landforms rich in trace elements essential to the human body, especially selenium, a highly nutritious mineral. The famous state banquet beverage, Coconut Palm Mineral Water, comes from deep volcanic rock layers. Some premium volcanic rock rice can even sell for more than 50 yuan per jin (500g) on the market. Some zongzi also try using black glutinous rice, a successfully trialed crop locally. Previously grown only in small amounts in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, it is a relatively rare and precious rice variety. Known as the “black pearl,” black glutinous rice is a type of rice with purplish-red husks. Because of its sticky texture, it is also called blood glutinous rice. Black glutinous rice is highly nutritious, containing not only protein, fat, and carbohydrates, but also rich amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, B2, and more. It has benefits for enriching blood and vital energy, improving health with regular consumption, and can even be used to brew wine. Eating black glutinous rice regularly is believed to nourish kidney function. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that “blackness nourishes the kidneys,” and black glutinous rice cooked with goji berries can treat dizziness, tinnitus, and soreness in the lower back and knees caused by liver-kidney deficiency. Black glutinous rice can also make hair shiny and black, especially when cooked with mulberries and black sesame seeds.

　　Pork

　　The pork used in Danzhou Zongzi comes from native or black pigs. Native Danzhou pigs have been bred from original stock, with balanced fat and lean meat and a delicious texture. Legend says that when Su Dongpo was exiled to Danzhou, he used the local pork to teach the preparation of Dongpo Pork, praising the quality of the local pork and perfectly illustrating the deliciousness of Dongpo Pork. The best zongzi use the pork from the front shoulder, the part between the front leg and chest with no ribs. It is tender, with a good mix of fat and lean, allowing the zongzi to absorb the meaty aroma while offering smooth, tasty pork. There’s a saying: “For meat, eat the front shoulder; for drink, choose aged liquor.”

　　Egg Yolk

　　The egg yolks in Danzhou Zongzi come from local speciality sea ducks, commonly known as beach-running ducks. Beach-running ducks are a brand registered by the Danzhou government for local ducks. These ducks live in coastal mangroves, and during low tide, the mangroves are often left with many small fish, shrimp, crabs, and snails. These high-protein natural foods become the ducks’ meals, resulting in plump ducks and rich, flavorful eggs with bright red yolks. Because the northern shore area has extensive coastal land, the ducks often run freely on their way home after feeding, hence the fitting name.

　　All the duck eggs used in making the zongzi are cured salted duck eggs. After cleaning, only the premium yolk portion is retained—no egg white is left to ruin the flavor or leave the glutinous rice undercooked. A unique local method is used to prepare the yolks, making them delicious, translucent, and oily when cooked, producing a unique taste that combines with the fragrance of the glutinous rice and zongzi leaves. The ducks’ unique diet also gives the yolks a distinct oceanic flavor.

　　Pork Ribs

　　Some zongzi varieties include pork ribs, adding a unique texture. After prolonged cooking, the fragrance of the zongzi seeps into the ribs, and the rich flavor of the ribs blends into the zongzi. When eating, pay special attention to the ribs—you’ll discover their unique deliciousness after merging with multiple ingredients. The bones, cooked for a long time, can be chewed carefully to savor the sweet juiciness that enters through the flavors. This is definitely a taste you won’t find in any other zongzi across the country.

　　Red Fish

　　Some zongzi include Red Fish.

　　The current administrative regions of Danzhou City and Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Hainan Province

　　“Letter from the People’s Government of Danzhou City on Applying for the Protection of the Geographical Indication Product Area of Danzhou Zongzi,” Danzhou Government Letter [2015] No. 223

　　Hainan Provincial Local Standard:

　　“Geographical Indication Product – Danzhou Zongzi” (Draft)