The Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional festival with profound cultural heritage, has been closely linked to our country since ancient times. Eating zongzi is an indispensable traditional custom in this festival. Zongzi, a delicacy wrapped in glutinous rice and various fillings, not only satisfies people's taste buds, but also expresses our deep longing for our relatives and hometown.
The zongzi leaf, as the "coat" of the zongzi, is an indispensable and important material. It is not only a simple wrapping tool, but also one of the sources of the unique flavor of zongzi. There are many varieties of zongye leaves, each with its own unique aroma and taste.
So, which leaf wraps zongzi more fragrant? There is no one set answer. Because different leaves have their own unique aroma and taste, and everyone's taste is different. Which of the following 10 kinds of dumpling leaves do you generally use?
1. Rice leaves - the first choice for the fragrance of dumplings in the north
Bamboo leaves, also known as bamboo leaves, are one of the common leaves used when making zongzi, especially in the northern region. The leaves are broad, green in color, and have a faint fragrance, which makes the wrapped zongzi both beautiful and delicious. Its unique shape and texture make making zongzi simple and efficient. The leaves are suitable for wrapping simple fillings, triangular shape of zongzi, this kind of zongzi is small and exquisite, one bite at a time, very convenient to eat. The filling of the leaf dumplings is usually glutinous rice, with some sweet fillings such as red dates and bean paste, which gives the taste soft and glutinous and sweet, which makes people have an endless aftertaste.
The leaves not only have high practicality, but also carry rich cultural connotations. In ancient times, it was regarded as a symbol of good luck, and people often used it to wrap food, symbolizing reunion and happiness. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, every household will wrap zongzi with leaves to express their prayers and blessings for a better life.
2. Reed leaves - the classic choice of northern zongzi
Reed leaves, as the name suggests, are the leaves of a reed. In the northern region, reed leaves are one of the main materials for making zongzi. The reed leaves have a unique fragrance, which is perfectly combined with glutinous rice and fillings, making the wrapped zongzi fragrant, soft and glutinous, with a unique flavor. The reed leaves are longer but narrower, and generally need three or five pieces stacked on top of each other to wrap a zongzi. This leaf is often used to wrap triangular zongzi, which is small and suitable for wrapping pure glutinous rice or zongzi with simple fillings.
Reed leaf zongzi has a long history and profound cultural heritage in the northern region. According to historical records, as early as the Tang Dynasty, the northern region began to wrap zongzi with reed leaves. With the passage of time, reed leaf zongzi has gradually become one of the indispensable traditional delicacies of the Dragon Boat Festival of the northern people. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, every household will wrap zongzi with reed leaves and give each other tastings to express their blessings and love for each other.
3. Lotus leaves - fresh and lotus-scented zongzi
The lotus leaf is wide and round, with a unique lotus fragrance, and is a very popular leaf when wrapping zongzi. Lotus leaf zongzi are very popular in North China, Jiangnan and South China, and have become one of the zongzi leaves that pass through the north and south. The fragrance of the lotus leaf itself makes the fragrance of glutinous rice more fresh and the taste more delicious. The leaves of the lotus leaf are wide, and it has the advantage of large capacity when wrapping zongzi, and a lotus leaf can wrap a big zongzi.
The fillings of lotus leaf zongzi are rich and varied, and you can choose according to your personal taste. Common fillings include glutinous rice, red dates, bean paste, salted egg yolk, etc. The taste of lotus leaf zongzi is soft and glutinous and sweet, with a faint lotus fragrance, which makes people have an endless aftertaste. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, tasting a lotus leaf zongzi is not only a kind of enjoyment of taste buds, but also a cultural inheritance.
Fourth, banana leaves - tropical style zongzi experience
Banana leaves are a kind of leaf with a tropical flavor when making zongzi. Among the zongzi leaves, banana leaves are one of the widest leaves, which makes it possible to have more room for manipulation when wrapping zongzi. Banana leaf dumplings are mostly found in the south and southwest regions of the mainland, and a banana leaf can be wrapped in several zongzi after cutting, which is very flexible to use. Banana leaf dumplings have a soft and sweet taste, with a unique banana leaf fragrance, which makes people feel like they are in a tropical rainforest.
Banana leaf dumplings are usually filled with glutinous rice, with some meat or beans and other ingredients. Banana leaf zongzi come in a variety of shapes and can be chosen according to personal preference. Whether it is a rectangle, a triangle or a circle, it can be easily encapsulated. The taste of banana leaf zongzi is rich and diverse, not only the soft glutinous rice but also the fragrance of banana leaves, as well as the deliciousness of the filling, which makes people have an endless aftertaste.
Fifth, Hiiragi leaves - the first choice for mellow meat dumplings
Hiiragi leaves, commonly known as winter leaves, are very wide leaves, mainly distributed in Liangguang and Yunnan. Hiiragi leaves can be up to half a meter long and more than 20 centimeters wide, which is stronger and more durable than lotus leaves and plantain leaves. The zongzi made with Hiiragi leaves are generally relatively large, and the weight is often more than one catty, which is basically enough for a family to eat. Hiiragi leaves have a mellow special fragrance, so they are generally boiled first and then wrapped in rice dumplings, so that the fragrance is even stronger.
Hiiragi leaf zongzi is suitable for wrapping meat stuffed zongzi, and its mellow fragrance complements the meat filling, making the zongzi more delicious and delicious. The surface of the Hiiragi leaf is smooth and tight, no penetration, and there is no need to worry about revealing the filling, and it can also play a good role in freshness and antiseptic. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, you can not only enjoy a feast of delicious food, but also feel the charm of traditional culture.
Sixth, mistletoe leaves - fragrant and slightly bitter zongzi flavor
Mistletoe leaves, whose shape resembles the palm of the hand, are the traditional choice for making zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival in Henan, Shandong and other places. Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival comes, it is the time when the leaves of the mistle tree grow luxuriantly, and the villagers will go up the mountain to pick them. Before wrapping the rice dumplings, these mistletoe leaves need to be carefully processed, boiled in water, and then removed after they have softened and changed color, and then cooled and set aside. Several mistletoe leaves are stacked on top of each other, wrapped in glutinous rice and various fillings, and carefully tied into long strips of rice dumplings. After cooking, the mistletoe leaf dumplings are peeled off to reveal a slightly yellowed rice dumpling, with a faint bitterness and fragrance. Sprinkle some sugar or honey and take a bite, the soft glutinous rice and the fragrant mistletoe leaves are perfectly blended, slightly bitter with sweetness, which is endlessly evocative.
In the mountainous area at the junction of Shaanxi and Henan, people are accustomed to calling mistletoe leaf zongzi "mistletoe" or "mistletoe pendant", while in the Shandong Peninsula, it is called "Polo leaf zongzi". These zongzi are not only the food of the Dragon Boat Festival, but also carry the inheritance and love of the local people for traditional culture. Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival comes, every household will waft out the fragrance of mistletoe rice dumplings, which has become a unique scenery in the festival.
Seventh, the ancient leaves - the style of zongzi under the pandanus tree
Ancient leaves, also known as pandanus leaves, are unique to the tropical regions of the southern part of the continent. These leaves are long and strong, but have thick sharp spines on the leaf margin and dorsal midrib, so they need to be de-thorned, scraped soft, and cooked before use. After treatment, the leaves become soft and tough, which is very suitable for wrapping zongzi.
The zongzi wrapped in ancient leaves have a golden appearance and a fragrant fragrance. The glutinous rice fully absorbs the aroma of the ancient leaves during the steaming process, which not only reduces the greasy feeling, but also gives the zongzi a unique fragrance. The reed dou dumplings in Zhongshan, Guangdong, the ancient dumplings in Lianjiang, the wrapped dumplings in Enping, the Chashan dumplings and the Nanzha dumplings in Dongguan are all wrapped in ancient leaves. These zongzi are not only soft and glutinous in taste, but also popular because of their unique fragrance. Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival comes, people from all over the south will use ancient leaves to wrap zongzi to celebrate this traditional festival.
8. Zongye Lu - soft and flexible and versatile Zongye leaves
Zongye reed, a plant similar to bamboo leaves, but with larger leaves than bamboo leaves, is the preferred material for people in tropical areas such as Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan to wrap zongzi. Its leaves are soft and tough, not only resistant to steaming, but also wrapped in a beautiful shape of zongzi, with a special fragrance. This fragrance blends with the sweetness of glutinous rice to make the zongzi taste even more unique, and it is loved by the locals.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, Zongye Lu became the protagonist in the kitchen of every household. After people clean the zongzi leaves and reeds, boil them and soften them, they start the busy activity of making zongzi. Whether it is a sweet filling or a salty filling, Zongye Lu can be easily controlled, showing its versatile characteristics. The boiled zongzi, with the fragrance of zongzi leaves and reeds, has become an indispensable delicacy on the table of the Dragon Boat Festival. Whether you taste it yourself or give it to relatives and friends, zongzi leaves and reed zongzi are a good way to express holiday blessings.
9. Bamboo shoot shell - fresh and natural taste of zongzi
The bamboo shoot shell, as the outer coat of bamboo shoots, is also a unique material for wrapping zongzi. The dried bamboo shoot shells need to be washed, cooked and softened before they can be used, with a fresh bamboo fragrance. This fragrance can neutralize the greasy feeling of the zongzi and make the zongzi taste more fresh and natural.
In Sichuan and other places, people are accustomed to wrapping zongzi with bamboo shoot shells. Bamboo shoot shell zongzi can wrap a variety of fillings, including sweet fillings such as dates, red beans, etc., as well as salty fillings such as pork ribs, bacon, etc. After cooking, the bamboo shoot shell zongzi has a faint bamboo fragrance on the outer skin, and it is soft and glutinous and delicious when you bite into it, which makes people have an endless aftertaste. This kind of zongzi not only has a unique taste, but also means good wishes for prosperity, and is deeply loved by the locals.
10. Corn leaves - dumplings with the fragrance of golden corn
In the northern region, people often use the bracts of corn to wrap zongzi. This leaf is wide and tough, making it ideal for wrapping zongzi. The corn leaves themselves have a faint corn fragrance, which makes the wrapped zongzi fully absorb this fragrance during the steaming process, making the taste of the zongzi more unique.
The rice dumplings wrapped in corn leaves have a golden brown appearance when cooked, giving off a strong corn fragrance. Whether it is sweet or salty stuffing, the rice dumplings can present a unique delicacy under the wrapping of corn leaves. In addition, corn leaves can also be used to make other delicacies such as corn roasting. This natural dumpling material is not only environmentally friendly and healthy, but also can add a unique flavor to food and make people appetize.