[Explanation] May 5th is Duanyang, eat rice dumplings and sprinkle sugar.
June 14th is the Dragon Boat Festival, one of China's four traditional festivals.
For Hong Kong people who love dim sum, zongzi is an indispensable delicacy on the dinner table during the festive season.
A few days ago, reporters visited Hong Kong’s catering market and learned that as the epidemic in Hong Kong has eased, the order of zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival this year has increased compared with the same period in 2020. The health-preserving zongzi featuring low sugar and low calories is sought after by diners.
[Concurrent] He Shuyu, Director of Dim Sum Department, Royal Plaza Hotel, Hong Kong
Everyone is worried about the epidemic this year.
This year's Dragon Boat Festival, everyone really wants to send blessings to friends and relatives, so we are ordering now.
Zongzi has increased by almost 50% compared with previous years.
We will launch a health-preserving rice dumpling this year.
Because of the epidemic, I want people to eat healthier, and some health-preserving rice dumplings will be provided. All health-care rice dumplings are low in sugar and calories, and there will be no high fat and high cholesterol in it.
Three-color (Zong) and five-color rice dumplings are more popular this year, because three-color rice dumplings are health-preserving rice dumplings.
[Explanation] Hong Kong dim sum chef He Shuyu told reporters that Zongzi has a unique position in the recipes of Hong Kong people. It is not only a seasonal delicacy for the Duanyang Festival, but also the best partner for Hong Kong people to drink tea every day.
In addition to health-preserving rice dumplings, some “creative rice dumplings” that break through tradition are also popular among customers.
[Concurrent] He Shuyu, Director of Dim Sum Department, Royal Plaza Hotel, Hong Kong
Our traditional Hong Kong dumplings include steamed dumplings, salted meat dumplings, and lye dumplings.
Every year, there will be some new ideas, and some new zongzi will come out. This Buddha Jumping the Wall is a famous dish in our south.
Our idea is to add these precious ingredients, such as the Buddha Jumping the Wall, into the rice dumplings?
[Explanation] The traditional famous dish Buddha Jumping the Wall and Zongzi are cleverly combined. Under the layers of the zong leaves, there are twelve different precious ingredients.
[Live Voice]
First we will put mushrooms, followed by glutinous rice, this is open mung beans, ham, scallops, then dried snails, followed by fat, lotus seeds, roasted pork belly, sea cucumber, followed by abalone, and finally this salted egg yolk.
[Explanation] Gather a dozen kinds of ingredients into a ball, wrap them in layers of lotus leaves, and tie them tightly with rue bamboo. They are skilled and precise. In the hands of Master He, who has been in the business for more than ten years, it takes only a few minutes. The Buddha jumped over the wall abalone dumplings took shape.
Talking about the competition between sweet and salty rice dumplings throughout the Dragon Boat Festival every year, Master He said with a smile, rice dumplings are rich in taste, frugal and easy to follow. Compared with the taste of ingredients, what is more precious is the adherence to traditional culture and the blessings for a better life. And yearning.
[Concurrent] He Shuyu, Director of Dim Sum Department, Royal Plaza Hotel, Hong Kong
(In Hong Kong) Normally, salty rice dumplings will be popular, but sweet rice dumplings will also be liked by some people.
Salty rice dumplings are basically salted meat dumplings, wrapped in steamed rice dumplings, sweet rice dumplings will have lotus seed paste (Zong), red bean paste (Zong), and sweet-scented red beans (Zong).
It is a tradition to eat zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival, and (people) will also make some zongzi to send blessings to relatives and friends.
Reporter Fan Siyi reports from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Li Yuxin]