Just in case this is the first time you’re reading about zongzi (粽子), it’s basically a Chinese version of a tamale: rice wrapped inside a leaf, then boiled in water until it’s cooked through and softened. They can be made savory or sweet, and everyone has their favorite flavors. Bill pretty much only likes the zongzi recipe that we are posting here today—with salty duck egg yolk and the tender, fall-apart pork belly, which is what his mother used to make when he was growing up.
My personal favorite is my aunt’s lye water zongzi (碱水粽). Despite the weird name, it’s a very basic zongzi with a distinctive yellow color and subtle flavor. Unfortunately, I haven’t had it for over thirty years, since I left Shanghai when I was a teenager. The moral of the story is—don’t judge a zongzi by its name! In fact, you might apply that truism to most Chinese dishes…
Other Asian countries also have their own variation of this special treat. When I was little, I don’t remember anyone buying zongzi (粽子), because every family made their own. It’s actually a very special event. My grandma and my aunt used to make at least two to three varieties each time, and it was a huge production! It was a daylong affair with preparations started the night before. In fact, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of having someone make these for you, you should be very appreciative—it’s a lot of work and very few people know how to make these well.
Wikipedia has a great write-up about the tradition of making zongzi, and since it’s so elegantly written already…
“Zongzi are traditionally eaten during the Duanwu Festival (Mandarin: Duānwǔ; Cantonese: Tuen Ng), which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (approximately late-May to mid-June).
A popular belief amongst the Chinese of eating zongzi involved commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet…Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan’s grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying. According to legend, packets of rice were thrown into the river to prevent the fish from eating the poet’s body.”
The story is a bit grim, yes, but that’s how the story goes! Zongzi used to be only a once-per-year, homemade treat for the Duanwu Festival (Just in case you are wondering, this year’s Duanwu Festival is on June 20), but now they are available in Chinese grocery stores year-round with many variations. I never buy them, mainly because I never know how long they’ve been sitting on the shelves. As the mother of a Chinese family, I feel a sense of duty to master this zongzi recipe in order to carry on the tradition and pass it down. If you find yourself in my shoes, you must give this zongzi recipe a try this year, and if not, then next year. You will make your mother and your grandmother proud. If you’ve never had zongzi before, and want to try them, you’ll make US proud.
Preparation for this zongzi recipe is relatively easy, except for the actual time commitment and the step of actually wrapping the zongzi. Some people can wrap these babies with speed and ease, but for others, it can devolve into mission impossible-level fumbling (ahem…let’s just say that Bill had some difficulties). But with a little practice, and our step-by-step instructions, you’ll be folding them properly in no time. And as far as size and shape are concerned, let’s say there is no right or wrong—as long as it’s wrapped tight and does not open up during cooking, it’s a success!!!
Making zongzi is a fairly labor-intensive process. We’ve outlined the preparation of each component below, followed by directions for putting the zongzi together, and finally, directions for cooking. If you want more tips on the different types of Zongzi and some cool pictures and videos, see our latest post, China’s Dragon Boat Festival & Rice Dumplings Galore! Also, don’t miss our post on Jianshui Zong Alkaline Rice Dumplings if you are looking for the sweet version! We also have a Shanghai Zongzi version made with light and dark soy sauce!
Here’s the full list of ingredients you’ll need. We’ll break it down for you to prepare each component.
- 36 to 40 dried reed leaves (2 to 3 leaves per zongzi)
- 5 cups uncooked short grain sticky rice (also called glutinous rice, or “sweet rice”)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, plus 2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
- 2/3 cup of raw peanuts
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into 12 equal pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ cup water
- 6 salted duck egg yolks
- 3 Chinese sausages (lop cheung)
To prepare the zongzi leaves:
- 36 to 40 bamboo leaves (use 2 to 3 leaves per zongzi)
First, soak the leaves overnight. The next day, wash and rinse each leaf front and back, keeping them in a large bowl or tub of water until wrapping time so they don’t dry out.
To prepare the sweet rice:
- 5 cups of short grain sweet rice
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
Soak the sweet rice overnight. The next day, drain completely in a colander. Mix the soaked, uncooked rice with light soy sauce and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
To prepare the peanuts:
- 2/3 cup of raw peanuts
Soak the peanuts overnight. The next day, boil for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside.
To prepare the pork belly:
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into 12 equal pieces
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 cup water
In a bowl, toss the pork belly with the light soy sauce, sugar, shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper. Marinade overnight. The goal of this step is to make the pork belly slightly too salty, because the rice will absorb the excess salt, giving the zongzi its distinctive savory, umami flavor.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook the pork belly for a few minutes before adding the water. Cover the wok with the lid, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is gone. Remove from the wok and let cool.
To prepare the additional ingredients:
- 6 salted duck egg yolks
- 3 Chinese sausages (lop cheung)
Cut the egg yolks in half. Cut the sausages into 12 equal pieces. Set aside in separate bowls.
Wrapping the zongzi:
Woo! Good job. Now you are all set to wrap these little bundles of deliciousness. We’ve provided step-by-step photos for how to wrap the zongzi below.
Before you start, there are a few things to remember:
- You must use kitchen shears to cut away at least half an inch off the bottom of every leaf where the leaf stem is since can easily puncture your precious zongzi while wrapping.
- Make sure the kitchen twine won’t break easily. To do this, it’s best to wet the twine first by soaking it in a bowl of water.
- It’s best to tie one end of the twine to an anchor point or kitchen fixture (e.g. you kitchen sink), because you will only have one hand to tie the zongzi. Your other hand will be holding the zongzi. Or have someone help you out! Making zongzi is like making a big batch of dumplings or wontons—all hands on deck! Just make sure that the newbies are holding the strings and the seasoned pros are doing the folding! Hah!
- If leaves rip anywhere during the wrapping process, you’ll need to start over and discard the ripped leaf. That’s why I call for more leaves than is technically needed. Some of the leaves are bound to get ripped.
Start by layering a couple leaves together and folding up the bottom to create a cone.
Fill with a little rice on the bottom, along with your egg yolk, peanuts, pork belly, and Chinese sausage.
Top with a bit more rice.
Fold the two sides into the middle lengthwise, cupping your hands at the bottom of the cone so it doesn’t fall apart.
Pinch the leaves at the top so you get a tight seal.
Fold the Zongzi leaves down…
And tie the zongzi securely. Just get it tightly sealed. Doesn’t have to be pretty. Cut off the excess on the leaves with your trusty kitchen shears.
And that’s it! Now do it a bunch more times until your leaves and filling are used up.
To cook the zongzi:
Get a medium-sized pot and neatly nest the zongzi inside, avoiding large gaps. Put a large plate directly on top of the zongzi to weigh them down. Fill the pot with cold water, until the zongzi are submerged. Place the pot on the stove over medium high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat to low/medium-low, and let it simmer for at least 7-8 hours.
The water should be “moving” while simmering, but there should be no large roiling bubbles. You must check the pot fairly often to make sure the zongzi are always submerged in water. Only add boiling water to adjust the water level—do not add room temperature or cold water. Keep a kettle of hot water on the stove so that you’re prepared throughout the 7-8 hour cooking time.
Once the 7-8 hours is up, eat the zongzi while they’re hot! Sweet zongzi can be enjoyed at room temperature, but savory zongzi are really the best when they’re steamy and delicious.
Some useful tips for enjoying your zongzi:
- To eat, simply cut the twine and unwrap the leaves to reveal the zongzi inside.
- Zongzis can be frozen after they cool to room temperature. To reheat, first defrost the zongzi by taking it out of the freezer a few hours prior to cooking time. Re-boil the zongzi in water for 15-20 minutes.
- Zongzi are usually served as is, but who’s gonna stop you from eating them with your favorite chili sauce? No one, that’s who!
- Finally, if you’re just over this whole “wrap them in a leaf” thing, you can alternatively steam the rice in a bamboo steamer. Simply line the steamer with the bamboo leaves, cut away the excess, fill with rice, and all your toppings, and steam for about an hour or so until done, longer if you like a more softer texture. It’s not traditional, but it’s definitely the lazy man’s way out!
- 36 to 40 dried bamboo leaves (2 to 3 leaves per zongzi)
- 5 cups uncooked short grain sticky rice (also called glutinous rice, or "sweet rice")
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, plus 2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus ½ teaspoon
- ⅔ cup of raw peanuts
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into 12 equal pieces
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ cup water
- 6 salted duck egg yolks
- 3 Chinese sausages
- First, soak the leaves overnight. The next day, wash and rinse each leaf front and back, keeping them in a large bowl or tub of water until wrapping time so they don’t dry out.
- Soak the sweet rice overnight. The next day, drain completely. Mix the soaked, uncooked rice with light soy sauce and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- Soak the peanuts overnight. The next day, boil for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside.
- In a bowl, toss the pork belly with the light soy sauce, sugar, shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper. Marinade overnight. The goal of this step is to make the pork belly slightly too salty, because the rice will absorb the excess salt, giving the zongzi its distinctive savory, umami flavor.
- The next day, heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook the pork belly for a few minutes before adding the water. Cover the wok with the lid, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is gone. Remove from the wok and let cool.
- Cut the egg yolks in half. Cut the sausages into 12 equal pieces. Set aside in separate bowls.
- Now you are all set to wrap these little bundles of deliciousness. Follow the step-by-step photos to wrap them. Remember:
- - You must cut away at least half an inch off the bottom of every leaf you use.
- - Make sure the kitchen twine won’t break easily. To do this, it’s best to wet the twine first by soaking it in a bowl of water. It’s best to tie one end of the twine to an anchor point or kitchen fixture (e.g. you kitchen sink), because you will only have one hand to tie the zongzi. Your other hand will be holding the zongzi. Or have someone help you out!
- - If leaves rip anywhere during the wrapping process, you’ll need to start over and discard the ripped leaf. That’s why I call for more leaves than is technically needed. Some of the leaves are bound to get ripped.
- To cook the Zongzi, get a medium-sized pot and neatly nest the zongzi inside, avoiding large gaps. Put a large plate directly on top of the zongzi to weigh them down. Fill the pot with cold water, until the zongzi are submerged. Place the pot on the stove over medium high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat to low/medium-low, and let it simmer for at least 7-8 hours.
- The water should be “moving” while simmering, but there should be no large roiling bubbles. You must check the pot fairly often to make sure the zongzi are always submerged in water. Only add boiling water to adjust the water level—do not add room temperature or cold water. Keep a kettle of hot water on the stove so that you’re prepared throughout the 7-8 hour cooking time.
- Once the 7-8 hours is up, eat the zongzi while they’re hot! Sweet zongzi can be enjoyed at room temperature, but savory zongzi are really the best when they’re steamy and delicious.
Monica says
I’ve only made jung twice in my life because of the amount of work, but it tastes so good. Going to try this recipe with yellow mung beans. I remember boiling them for a long time but not 7 to 8 hours, but I could be wrong. I wonder if the Instant Pot could be used. My grandma is an expert wrapper, but in the end they all taste delicious ;)
Judy says
Hi Monica, yes, you can use an instant pot to cook the zongzi. I think the cooking time should reduce to 50 – 60 minutes. Also, you can’t really overcook zongzi, which is comforting. Just remember not to overstuff each zongzi. Good luck!
Leslie Gache says
I love your blog! This recipe brings back so many memories of my mother. She would individualize them for all the kids…I didn’t like the dried shrimp, others did not like mung beans or salted pork, etc… She would use shortened toothpicks under the string to differentiate which ones belong to whom. I never did learn how she made them so thank you for putting the recipe out there.
Judy says
What a mother would do for her kids! Thank you for sharing your story.
Hoy says
Hi Judy, your very consistent n persistent fear of the pressure cooker has prompted me to write this, for my mum was also terrified of it. I think she had one blew up on her once. She did make zongzi a few times when we were little n i helped, though not with the wrapping part. When I was married n before we had children I tried making them too. I think they turned out well enough, I can’t really remember. Now that the children r older I might have another go at these……maybe : )
Judy says
Hehehe…wrapping zongzi is not something one does all the time, but it comes back quickly after you make one or two :-)
John Fun says
Hello,
I have a question, since rice does expand during cooking, will this not “bulge” out of the leaves as it cooks? Do I have to take that in consideration and pack the filling more loosely?
Judy says
Yes, your understanding is correct. No need to overstuff.
Bea Wong says
My mom and her friends made these every year. The pork belly was not seasoned nor cooked prior to use. There was also green lentils used and whole duck eggs rather than halves. I always put extra sausage in mine as I love that flavor. Thanks do much for the post.
Judy says
You are very welcome. Pork is much better when marinated. Hope you can give this recipe a try.
D CHAN says
This recipe is certainly not the traditional one by a far margin. The traditional one is the one wit the shelled green beans and without the sausage. Of course there are variations but surely the traditional and basic recipe should be respected and not being misrepresented
Bill says
Hi D Chan, sounds like we both have different ideas of traditional. ;-) I have never had any Zong with shelled green beans but NYC Chinatown and our family always had a seasoned piece of pork belly, so we agree on that one for sure. Happy cooking!
Loressa says
Agreed, I think we all have different ideas of what’s traditional, and like many other recipes, what’s “traditional” can vary by region. I’m from Seattle, and the ones here are made with Chinese sausage, peanuts, egg yolk, another savory meat (sadly, I don’t know what it is), and a sweeter Chinese sausage…which is my favorite part! Have never seen one with a shelled green bean, not even when I bought one in San Francisco’s Chinatown to try.
Judy says
Hi Loressa, peanuts or no peanuts, mung bean or no mung bean, tradition is what we “carry” with us. It is what we learned from our elders, it is what we grew up with, it is what we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren.
Cecilia says
My family is from Canton and we’ve never added green beans and always lap cheung. Sometime we would add mung bean or lap yuk (preserved pork).
The recipe is authentic and the rating is unjust. I am looking forward to making this recipe and will post my review afterwards.
Judy says
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Cecilia! Hope to hear from you soon :-)
John says
My mom was from Canton and she never made it with any beans or marinated meat. She had almost everything else though. She had the salted egg yolk, Chinese sausage, pork belly, peanuts, chestnuts and dried shrimp. I have never eaten anyone else’s version that was like her’s. Close but not exactly. Even our relatives didn’t make it the same way. I just like looking up these recipes. Brings back memories of when I mom made dozens of them. Happy times. :-D
Denise says
If i’m using fresh bamboo leaves, what should i do? Do i still have to soak it in the water or boil it?
I’m planning to make this rice dumplings this weekend, so i thought i have to prepare 2-3 days in advance.
Thank you before!
Judy says
Hi Denise, no need to soak or boil fresh bamboo leaves, but it is a good idea to wash each leaf front and back with a soft, clean kitchen cloth.
Gregory Tung says
Thanks for posting this recipe, my wife is from Gong Zhou and she make them this way.
I was wondering if you have the recipe for the Shanghai style? I’ve never made them, but I do go to various store to buy them. More and more of these store are closing and I cannot find new stores to buy them. I would appreciate it if you could post the recipe, if you have it.
Judy says
Ok, Gregory, I will post a Shanghainese meat zongzi for next duanwujie. As you know, the rice in Shanghai zongzi is more flavorful which I like.
Anh says
If I use a pressure cooker to cook this, how long should I boil this? Thank you!
Judy says
Hi Anh, I don’t use pressure cookers, so it’s hard to say. Depends on how tightly you wrap the zongzi. I think the cooking time is longer than cooking beef.
Clara says
I did 35 mins on high in my instant pot. turned out wonderful!
Jennifer Peltier says
I am making zhongxi for the second time.
I like the traditional and I mix it up a bit too.
Creativity in the kitchen ?
Judy says
Yeah, Jennifer, I am all for creativity in the kitchen. You go, girl!
Kathy Yu says
I think my grandma folds them the same way you do but folds it tighter? It seems smaller and the lines are neater so it looks nicer. And she uses string both horizontally and vertically.
Anyways, I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to trying these!!! I have always wanted to learn and now I can! I’m gonna have a zonzi party with my friends.
Judy says
Hi Kathy, I noticed that the cooking time shortens a lot if zongzi is not stuffed and wrapped too tight. Like my lye water zongzi, I did not stuff and wrap them too tight and they only took 2.5 hours to cook. I do like shorter cooking time :-)
Richarf says
Does it really take 7 hours to cook???
Bill says
Hi Richard, When you make the Zong large, it does take a long time to cook, or the rice at the center does not come out cooked properly. My mom used to stay up late and watch the huge pot, turn the flame off, and leave them soaking in the hot water overnight so the net time in the pot was even longer!
We have wanted to try a pressure cooker, but probably the best modification is to make them smaller like the Gan sui Joong recipe Judy just posted. This reduces the cooking time significantly, although you can’t compare the cooking times of the two types directly as the lye water (Gan sui) reduces the overall cooking time. That said, making the savory version smaller should reduce the cooking time by at least half. Happy cooking!
Dylan says
How long would it take in a pressure cooker and on what setting?
Bill says
Hi Dylan, we have never used a pressure cooker before, but you could try a batch for an hour and do a taste test to see if they are cooked through. If not, return them to cook and adjust the time until you get it right for your pressure cooker. The reason why it took so many hours is that a huge pot is required to boil one large batch. It simmers slowly, and boiling water needs to be added. Using a pressure cooker to make several batches may still take several hours in total unless you have an unusually large one.
Mei says
I can’t wait to make zongzis with an adaptation of your recipe. My maternal grandma passed away unexpectedly last year and she was the master of making/wrapping these. Although she did start skimping on some of the delicious fillings in her old age! My mother is useless when it comes to making zongzi. Haha… Anyway, thanks for a wonderful recipe in English for us ABCs who live far from home.
Judy says
Hi Mei, yes, publishing traditional recipes in English is one of our website’s main objectives. Bill and our two daughters are ABCs like you.
Makealah says
Hey! What are the salted duck eggs supposed to taste like inside the zongzi? I followed this recipe but the vacuum packaged egg yolks I found at the Asian grocery were a slightly different color than yours, and I am thinking the batch wasn’t good because they were very hard and dry after the zongzi was done cooking. Other than that, these were very good! I just want to know if I need to give salted duck eggs another try. The only thing I did different in my recipe is I folded mine in a triangular shape… growing up, that is always how my Chinese teacher made them, and it seemed like I didn’t really have an option there, haha!
Thank you!
Judy says
Hi Makealah, the salted duck egg yolks are somewhat dry and hard. Do feel free to omit it because it will not change the taste of the rest of zongzi :-)
Renee says
‘This makes me miss my grandma! I used to assist her making zongzi every year. The only difference is that she doesn’t cook the porkbelly beforehand. She simply soaks them in marination juice for a few hours before putting them in zongzi. So the pork fat will envely coat the rice when your steam the zongzi later.
Thanks for the post! I’m literally drooling right now.
Judy says
You are very welcome, Renee! Plan to make them on your own now?
Caroline Lang says
I used the bamboo steamer method and it worked beautifully! I’ve tried boiling zongzi which was great as well, but steaming is so much faster (and eliminates having to wrap!). Zongzi is one of my absolute favorites and I’m glad I now have an easy recipe to use on a regular basis.
Judy says
Hahahaha! I knew the easier “method” would catch someone’s attention. Love it!
Betty Banovic says
How long did you steam it. I’ve tried wrapping a dozen times. Im all for the easy way!!
Judy says
Hi Betty, you can steam it for about an hour or so until done––longer if you like a softer texture.
John says
I l this website . I love cooking, And now I’m trying Chinese cooking
Judy says
Hi John, you have come to the right place. Just so you know, this recipe is not an easy one to start because the wrapping technique takes some practice. Check out the video in this Zongzi post, I think it will be helpful:-)
Jillian says
These are AMAZING! The aroma in my house as they were cooking and the flavors brought me back to my childhood memories of going to our favorite corner store in Philadelphia Chinatown…Thank you for sharing <3
Judy says
Lovely comment, Jillian! Thank you for sharing your memory!
Tom says
There is an Asian Market in Sacramento, CA that has these delivered twice a week from someone who makes them locally. They have two different kinds, one with peanuts and one with pork. I love them. Unfortunately, I live 250 miles from Sacramento and don’t get there very often.
Judy says
Hi Tom, 250 miles is far enough that you might have to give these a try yourself. hehehehehe….
Tom says
I will be making them. Thank you for sharing!
Judy says
Great! Thank you, Tom.
Betty says
I’ve made this. I like your recipe additionally. Some of the items – substitutions – I found salt pork at the regular store and wonder if hamhocks (smoked) would work. A pressure cooker can be used and you can cut the cooking time to about 2 hours.
Judy says
Hi Betty, salted pork would be better than smoked hamhocks. BTW, thank you for the tip of using a pressure cooker. I know it will reduce the cooking time, but I’m really not comfortable with it.