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\tZongzi — zòn\u0261zi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \tZongzi (Chinese: \u7cbd\u5b50, Pinyin: zòn\u0261zi<\/em> ) is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. In the Western world, they are also known as rice dumplings. <\/p>\n \tOrigins:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tthe Dragon Boat Festival <\/p>\n \tZongzi are traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Chinese: \u7aef\u5348\u8282, Pinyin: Du\u0101nw\u01d4 Jié<\/em>), which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (approximately late-May to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu Yuan<\/em>, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu<\/em> who lived during the Warring States period.<\/p>\n \tTales of Qu Yuan<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tQu Yuan<\/em>(Chinese: \u5c48\u539f, Pinyin: Q\u016b Yuán), Chinese poet <\/p>\n \tKnown for his patriotism, Qu Yuan<\/em> tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin<\/em> neighbors. When his country was destroyed by the Qin <\/em>in 278 BC, Qu Yuan's grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo<\/em> river after writing a famous poem. According to legend, packets of rice were thrown into the river to prevent the fish from eating the poet's body.<\/p>\n \tVariety<\/strong><\/p>\n \tThe shape of zongzi range from being relatively tetrahedral in northern China to cylindrical in southern China. Wrapping a zongzi neatly is a skill that is passed down through families, as are the recipes. Making zongzi is traditionally a family event of which everyone helps out.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tNorthern-style (left) and Southern-style (right) zongzi<\/p>\n \tWhile traditional zongzi are wrapped in bamboo leaves, the leaves of lotus, maize, banana, canna, shell ginger and pandan leaves sometimes are used as substitutes in other countries. Each kind of leaf imparts its own unique smell and flavor to the rice.<\/p>\n \tThe fillings used for zongzi vary from region to region, but the rice used is always glutinous rice (also called "sticky rice" or "sweet rice"). Depending on the region, the rice may be lightly precooked by stir-frying or soaked in water before using.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tGlutinous rice — Nuòm\u01d0<\/p>\n