My mother is the best cook in the world, and my grandma taught her everything she knows. Much to my dismay, the only thing my mom hadn’t mastered was wrapping 粽子. Known by many names in English, including “Chinese tamale” (lawl), it’s a bundle of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. They typically come in sweet and savory versions, with red bean paste and some sort of meat, respectively, in the rice. The awesome part about making them yourself is that you can put whatever you want in them.
My grandma had soaked some bamboo leaves in anticipation of my return, and today she taught me how to wrap zongzi. For my savory veggie versions, I used shiitake mushrooms, boiled peanuts, and cooked chestnuts.
I’m proud to say that I learned much more quickly than my mom did! Unfortunately I don’t have a clue how to explain it, so you’re gonna have to find your own Taiwanese grandmas to teach you.
Lookit that! Mine started out looking like shapeless logs, but eventually, I got the hang of making the four corners. In case you’re wondering what they look like after they’re cooked…
Kinda like that. Omnomnomnomnom… :P
D: I am so terrible at making those. SO SO TERRIBLE. Also, the ones my mom makes aren’t as elongated, but that’s probably just her. >.>
lolz, i’ve never seen log shaped ones before, i think they’re always kinda triangular..?? i’m not sure actually.. haven’t had one in a long time ^^” they’re tasty though! the ones my parents make i get tired of after like.. 2.. -.-”
I love homemade zhognzi. I use to make them with my grandma too :)
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Yum, and my family makes these every year, and there are the triangular ones, usually savory, and the more rectangular one, which is yellower and just rice with this red thing (something..) in the middle..we usually dip that in sugar
The inside of the sweet zongzi is probably red bean paste…almost as tasty as the savory ones. :P