Zongzi dumplings: the food mascot of the Dragon Boat Festival

The annual Dragon Boat Carnival and its adrenaline-inducing races are historically held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month — the anniversary of the death of famed Chinese poet Qu Yuan.

Read on for an introduction to the official festival food mascot: the zongzi dumpling, and be sure to check out our quick cultural guide to the event itself.

What’s in a dumpling?

Eating zongzi — rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves — is a big part of the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that Qu Yuan, Chinese poet and national hero, drowned himself in the Mi Lo River in protest against corrupt rulers. Heartbroken villagers then threw rice packets into the water to deter hungry fish from eating his body. These rice packets eventually became the zongzi that Hongkongers enjoy during the festival today. Here are some of the varieties that we have now, and best places to try them:

Lin Heung Kui

For something traditional, visit old-school Lin Heung Kui for a classic interpretation of the savoury zongzi, filled with glutinous rice, mung beans, pork and salted egg yolk. This is one of the most beloved zongzi flavours among locals, and is served with sugar or soy sauce. Follow it up with the sweet zongzi, stuffed with Lin Heung Kui’s famous lotus seed paste.

Spring Moon

For those of you looking to treat yourself with a deluxe zongzi experience, look no further than The Peninsula’s Cantonese restaurant Spring Moon. The Michelin-starred restaurant offers zongzi in four indulgent flavours every year. The savoury dumplings are prepared with luxurious ingredients such as abalone sauce and Yunnan ham, and are also boiled in a rich broth rather than in water.

Tsui Hang Village

For a more innovative take on the Cantonese treat, head to Tsui Hang Village to try its signature kumquat sweet zongzi. Instead of a traditional lotus seed or red bean paste filling, the restaurant chooses to use honey-preserved kumquat and homemade kumquat puree, creating a lovely balance of acidity and sweetness. Don’t forget to top it off with the homemade honey kumquat sauce!