Large Yao Ethnic Group Zongzi (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

Large Yao Ethnic Group Zongzi (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

　　The Han people typically eat zongzi on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, while the Yao people make their zongzi, known as “zongba,” during the traditional Yao festival called “Panwang Festival” (the 16th day of the tenth lunar month). The Yao usually start making zongba early in the morning. They first soak glutinous rice in a large basin with an appropriate amount of salt, then take the “knife leaves” (which resemble banana leaves and have a faintly sweet aroma) picked from the mountains, wash them clean with water, and then briefly roast them over a fire to make the originally brittle leaves soft and tough. Next, they cut the freshly salted meat into chunks and place them in a large bowl. Once everything is ready, they begin wrapping the zongba. First, they place the rice on the “knife leaf,” then add two or three pieces of marinated meat, fold the middle part of the leaf together, tightly tuck in the sides, and secure it with bamboo strips. This completes the wrapping of the zongba.

　　Then comes the cooking of the zongba. Usually, the Yao use two to even three catties (over one to 1.5 kilograms) of glutinous rice for one large zongba, so cooking it becomes the most time-consuming part. Cooking requires a large iron pot filled with water, and the zongba must be boiled with three additional water refills. Only after all the water has evaporated is the zongba fully cooked, a process that takes more than ten hours.

　　Freshly cooked zongba is fragrant and delicious. Once cooked, the zongba can be stored for a long time — it will not spoil even if kept for a week in winter. There are many ways to eat zongba; for example, it can be pan-fried. When frying, be sure not to peel off all the outer leaves — leave the innermost layer intact. Slice the zongba thinly and fry it in oil. Pan-fried zongba is crispy and flavorful, offering a unique taste.