China News Agency, Jiangmen, Guangdong, June 2, title: Guangdong Taishan bacon dumplings: the Dragon Boat Festival tastes fragrant at home and abroad
Author Li Xiaochun Guo Jun
"The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. I miss the bacon dumplings in Taishan very much. If you want to eat dumplings in the UK, you have to drive to the Chinese supermarket to buy ready-made dumplings, or buy the materials yourself to wrap and cook dumplings." Now living in the UK Ms. Cen, a native of Taishan, said recently that the bacon dumplings evoked her unique taste bud memories of the Dragon Boat Festival in her hometown Taishan.
When she lived in Taishan, she could taste the bacon zongzi shared by relatives and friends around the Dragon Boat Festival. Even after traveling abroad for many years, Ms. Cen still remembers the taste of Taishan bacon zong.
On May 29th, in Taishan City, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, near the Dragon Boat Festival, Taishan Zongzi gradually became popular.
The picture shows the freshly cooked Taishan bacon dumplings.
Photo by China News Agency Hu Yasheng
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional festival in China that has lasted for more than 2,000 years. The custom of eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival has long been popular in China, and even spread to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and other countries and regions. There are also various flavors and types of zongzi.
The traditional bacon zongzi in Taishan, Guangdong, is very popular because of its twisted corners, soft waxy and salty fragrance, etc. It is directly called "Taishan zongzi" outside.
With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, Taishan dumplings are gradually becoming popular again.
Taishan is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese.
With the footsteps of Taishan people's migration and the needs of development, Taishan bacon dumplings have undergone subtle changes in inheritance and innovation. The combination of ingredients and tastes are adjusted according to the dietary preferences of local consumers. Triangle cities and some overseas Chinese supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants have seized the market and are widely favored by diners.
On May 11, in Taishan City, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, near the Dragon Boat Festival, Taishan Zongzi gradually became popular.
The picture shows Aunt Chan from Taicheng, Taishan, busy making bacon dumplings.
Photo by Li Xiaochun issued by China News Agency
Mai Dajie Store on Renmin North Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou is an inconspicuous small shop, but as a Taishanian, Mai Dajie has the courage to work hard and innovate. With the Taishan rice dumplings from her hometown, she has won a place in the "zongzi world" in Guangzhou. bit.
The store has been in business for more than 20 years, and it still provides freshly baked Taishan rice dumplings every day to nearby neighbors and diners, making it an old shop where everyone can appreciate the charm of Taishan rice dumplings.
"Because the development in Guangzhou was restricted by the factory, my mother returned to her hometown, Duhu Town, Taishan, to set up a new factory in 2017, and recruited a number of local villagers nearby to help prepare and wrap the rice dumplings. On weekdays, she wrapped thousands of rice dumplings every day; last year At the peak, more than 20,000 rice dumplings were wrapped every day. This year, when the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, the number of orders increased significantly, and more people have been sent to wrap the rice dumplings by hand." Mrs. Mai's son Zhao Xianhong said that the factory insists on manual wrapping of rice dumplings and burning rice dumplings over an open fire. Traditional craftsmanship, he and his mother have been adhering to the business philosophy of integrity for more than 20 years, paying attention to listening to customer feedback, and forming a variety of bacon rice dumplings that are relatively fixed today. Currently, they are mainly sold to Foshan, Dongguan, Guangzhou and other places.
"The 'Zongwang' at Mai Dajie's Store has very rich fillings, the pork belly melts in your mouth, and the egg yolk is salty and delicious. Every time I come here, I choose the Zongwang, but the Zongwang is easy to sell out, so buy it early if you want to eat it. "Ms. Zhao, who works near Renmin North Road in Liwan District, said that she has ordered 50 rice dumplings, ready to give to relatives and friends to taste before the Dragon Boat Festival.
On May 19, in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, near the Dragon Boat Festival, Taishan Zongzi gradually became popular.
The picture shows an old street in Guangzhou to order Taishan rice dumplings at Mai Dajie's store.
Photo by Li Xiaochun issued by China News Agency
"At present, we have pre-ordered Taishan bacon dumplings for group purchase, which are produced by the family kitchen. The price of a single piece starts at 4 yuan. The fillings can be increased or decreased according to the requirements of the guests. Most of them have red and blue leaves (a kind of spice). I My classmates grow red and blue leaves here.” Li Yanhe, a Taishan villager who now lives in Toronto, Canada, revealed that the bacon rice dumplings wrapped in red and blue, pork belly, scallops, peanuts, salted egg yolk, sausage, and dried shrimp are priced at At 6.5 Canadian dollars, it is the first choice of many local diners.
Some Chinese supermarkets, bakeries, and restaurants in the United States have recently launched bacon dumplings and other seasonal food advertisements.
However, most of the Taishan folks who have the conditions still prepare their own materials and wrap the rice dumplings. They think this is one of the most ceremonial traditional Dragon Boat Festival activities.
"My mother used to dry the red and blue leaves and bring them to wrap the rice dumplings, but because the children didn't like them very much, she simply wrapped the rice dumplings with marinated pork belly." Ms. Wu, a Taishan villager who now lives in New York, USA, introduced that her family In recent years, most of the rice dumplings are filled with dried shrimps, Cantonese sausages, salted pork belly, scallops, chestnut meat, salted egg yolks, peanuts, and mung beans, and thin cotton ropes are used instead of traditional rice dumplings to make rice dumplings.
What makes Ms. Wu more distressed is that her two children still don't like to eat the pork "zong core", which is called the soul of Taishan Zongzi and is fat but not greasy. I am very interested in the glutinous rice dumplings.
Taishan bacon dumplings traditionally use red and blue leaves, fatty pork, peanuts or mung beans as the "zong core", but now it is extended to use pork belly, roast pork, salted egg yolk, dried shrimp, scallops, chestnut meat, sausage, The ingredients such as eyebrow beans, red beans, abalone, and mushrooms have obvious changes in the level of entrance.
The only thing that doesn't change is that Taishan people, no matter where they are, will pick up the festive skills of preparing ingredients, wrapping rice dumplings, and cooking rice dumplings every Dragon Boat Festival, and present themselves and their families with bacon rice dumplings that belong to their hometown.
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