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{{Short description|Traditional Chinese food}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox food
|name             = ''Zongzi''
|image            = Zongzi.jpg
|image_size       = 
|caption          = ''Zongzi'' both ready to eat (left) and still wrapped in a bamboo leaf (right)
|alternate_name   = ''bakcang'', ''bacang'', ''machang'', ''zang'', ''nom asom'', ''pya htote'', ''chimaki''
|country          = [[China]]
|region           = [[Sinophone|Chinese-speaking areas]]<br /> East Asia
|creator          = 
|course           = 
|served           = 
|main_ingredient  = [[Glutinous rice]] stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo or [[Reed (plant)|reed]] leaves
|variations       = [[Lo mai gai|Lotus leaf wrap]]
|calories         = 
|other            = 
|type= [[Rice cake]]
| similar_dish     = ''[[Mont phet htok]]''<br>''[[Chunga pitha]]''
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = ''Zongzi''
| c = 粽子
| w = tsung<sup>4</sup>-tzu<sup>5</sup>
| p = zòngzi
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|z|ong|4|.|z|^|5}}
| lmz = tson tsy
| altname = Cantonese name
| c2 = 糉
| j2 = zung2<ref name=cantodict>Cantodict, [http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/290/ 粽 (zung2 zung3 | zong4) : glutinous rice dumpling]</ref>
| y2 = júng
| ci2 = {{IPAc-yue|z|ung|2}}
| altname3 = Southern Min name
| t3 = 肉粽
| poj3 = bah-càng / mah-càng
| tl3 = bah-tsàng / mah-tsàng
| altname4 = Eastern Min name
| c4 = 粽
| buc4 = cáe̤ng / {{IPA|cdo|tsɔyŋ˨˩˨}}<ref name=ydict>ydict, [https://www.ydict.net/w/CgQyRERC 粽]</ref>
}}

'''''Zongzi''''' ({{zh||c=粽子|p=zòngzi}}) or simply '''''zong''''' ({{zh|c=粽|p=zòng|j=zung<sup>2</sup>}}) is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of [[glutinous rice]] stuffed with a range of fillings and wrapped in [[bamboo]] leaves. Fillings can be either sweet, such as [[red bean paste]], or savory, such as [[pork belly]] or [[Chinese sausage]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Dragon Boat Festival sticky rice dumpling types across China and East Asia |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3265621/zongzi-all-their-glory-dragon-boat-festival-sticky-rice-dumpling-types-around-asia |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref> The bamboo for wrapping the ''zongzi'' is generally of the species ''[[Indocalamus tessellatus]]'', although sometimes [[common reed|reed]] or other large flat leaves may be used. ''Zongzi'' are cooked by steaming or boiling.<ref name="Roufs Roufs 2014 p. 81">{{cite book | last1=Roufs | first1=T.G. | last2=Roufs | first2=K.S. | title=Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture | publisher=ABC-CLIO | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-61069-221-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_eCBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | page=81}}</ref>

== Names ==
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As it diffused to other regions of Asia over many centuries, ''zongzi'' became known by various names in different languages and cultures,<ref name="ChDaily">{{cite web |title=Sweet and savory: Zongzi beyond your expectation |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/18/WS5b270ed0a310010f8f59d66b_1.html |website=China Daily |access-date=2021-10-13 |date=2018-06-18}}</ref> including ''phet htoke'' ({{lang|my|ဖက်ထုပ်}}) in [[Burmese language|Burmese]]-speaking areas (such as [[Myanmar]]), ''nom chang'' in [[Cambodia]], ''machang'' in [[Philippines]], ''bacang'' in [[Indonesia]], ''khanom chang'' in [[Laos]], and ''ba-chang'' in [[Thailand]].

[[Vietnamese cuisine]] also has a variation on this dish known as ''bánh ú tro'' or ''bánh tro''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Avieli |first=Nir |title=Rice Talks: Food and Community in a Vietnamese Town |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-253-35707-6 |page=223}}</ref>

In [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]], [[Singapore]], and [[Taiwan]], ''zongzi'' is known as ''bakcang'', ''bacang'', or ''zang'' (from [[Hokkien]] {{zh|c={{linktext|肉粽}}|poj=bah-chàng|l=meat zong}}, as Hokkien is commonly used among overseas Chinese); Straits Peranakans also know them as the derivative ''[[kuih|kueh]] chang'' in their [[Baba Malay|Malay dialect]].<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=kueh chang|dictionary=Baba Malay Dictionary: The First Comprehensive Compendium of Straits Chinese Terms and Expressions|first1=William Thian Hock|last1=Gwee|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|page=113|year=2006|isbn=978-0-8048-3778-1}}</ref> Similarly, ''zongzi'' is more popularly known as ''machang'' among [[Chinese Filipino]]s in the [[Philippines]].

[[Japanese cuisine]] has leaf-wrapped glutinous rice flour dumplings called ''chimaki''. They may be [[tetrahedral]], square, rectangular, or long narrow conical in shape.

In some areas of the United States, particularly [[California]] and [[Texas]], ''zongzi'' are often known as "Chinese ''[[tamales]]''".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sgvtribune.com/lifestyle/20131014/chinese-tamales-tastily-fete-culture|title='Chinese tamales' tastily fete culture|date=October 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://luckyrice.com/grandma-hsiangs-chinese-tamales/ |title=Grandma Hsiang's Chinese Tamales - LUCKYRICE |website=luckyrice.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527010658/http://luckyrice.com/grandma-hsiangs-chinese-tamales |archive-date=2018-05-27}}</ref>

In [[Mauritius]], ''zongzi'' (typically called ''zong''), is a traditional dish which continues to be eaten by the [[Mauritians of Chinese origin|Sino-Mauritian]] and by the [[Overseas Chinese]] communities. It is especially eaten on the [[Dragon Boat Festival]], a traditional festive event, to commemorate the death of [[Qu Yuan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-08|title=LE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL : Une fête qui réunit toutes les communautés, selon Mike Wong|url=https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/magazine/dragon-boat-festival-fete-qui-reunit-toutes-les-communautes-selon-mike-wong/66033/|access-date=2021-04-25|website=Le Mauricien|language=fr-FR}}</ref>

==Popular origin myths==
{{See also|Jiaolong|Wu Zixu#Legacy}}
What has become established popular belief amongst the Chinese is that ''zongzi'' has since the days of yore been a food-offering to commemorate the death of [[Qu Yuan]], a famous [[Chinese poet|poet]] from the [[Chu (state)|kingdom of Chu]] who lived during the [[Warring States period]].{{sfnp|Hawkes|1985|pp=64–66}} Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried to counsel his king to no avail, and drowned himself in the [[Miluo River]] in 278 BC.<ref name=zhang2018/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|After composing the ''Jiu Zhang'' ("Nine Declarations") part of the ''[[Chu ci]]''; this according to [[Wang Yi (librarian)|Wang Yi]], the ancient (Han dynasty period) commentator to Qu Yuan as a poet.<ref name=zhang2018/> (More specifically, penning ''[[Lament for Ying]]'' portion of the Nine Declarations when the Qin general [[Bai Qi]] captured Yingtu, then the capital of Chu, in 278 BC{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}).}} The Chinese people were grateful for Qu Yuan's talent and loyalty to serve the country. They cast rice dumplings into the Miluo River on the day when Qu Yuan was thrown into the river every year, hoping that the fish in the river would eat the rice dumplings without harming Qu Yuan's body.

Qu Yuan died in 278 BC, but the earliest known documented association between him and the ''zong'' dumplings occurs much later, in the mid 5th century ({{zh|s=世说新语|p=Shìshuō Xīnyǔ}}, or ''[[A New Account of the Tales of the World]]''),<ref name=ma1999/> And a widely observed popular cult around him did not develop until the 6th century AD, as far as can be substantiated by evidence.<ref>{{harvp|Chittick|2010|p=111}}: "there is no evidence that he was widely worshiped or much regarded in popular lore prior to the sixth century CE".</ref> But by the 6th century, sources attest to the offering of ''zongzi'' on the [[Dragon Boat Festival|Double Fifth]] Festival (5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar) being connected with the figure of Qu Yuan.<ref>{{interlanguage link|Wu Jun (historian)|zh|吴均|lt=Wu Jun}} ({{zh|p=<!--Wu Jun-->|w=Wu chün|t=呉均|labels=no}} (d. 520), ''Xu Qixieji''. See below.</ref>

As for the origin myth, a fable recounts that the people commemorated the drowning death of Qu Yuan on the [[Dragon Boat Festival|Double Fifth]] day by casting rice stuffed in bamboo tubes; but the practice changed in the early [[Eastern Han]] dynasty (1st century AD),<ref name=smithsonianmag2009-05-14/>{{efn|The first year of Eastern Han (Year 1 of Jianwu era, AD 25) to be more precise.}} when the ghost of Qu Yuan appeared in a dream to a man named Ou Hui ({{zh|t=區回, 歐回}}) and instructed him to seal the rice packet with [[Melia azedarach|chinaberry]] (or ''Melia'') leaves and bind it with colored string, to repel the dragons (''[[jiaolong]]'') that would otherwise consume them. However, this fable is not attested in contemporary (Han period) literature, and only known to be recorded centuries later in {{interlanguage link|Wu Jun (historian)|zh|吴均|lt=Wu Jun}} ({{zh|p=<!--Wu Jun-->|w=Wu chün|t=呉均|labels=no}}, d. 520)'s ''Xu Qixieji'' ({{zh|p=<!--''Xu Qixieji''-->|w=''Hsü-ch'ih-hsieh-chih''|t=『續齊諧記』|labels=no}}).<ref name=cmlc36/><ref name=chan2009/><ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-xqjj/>{{Refn|Chan (2009) citing Wu Jun ''Xu Qixie'' though not explicitly mentioning ''zong'', only paraphrasing as "rice wrapped with five-colored strings".<ref name=chan2009/>}}

Also, Qu Yuan had (dubiously, by "folklore" or by common belief) become connected with the boat races held on the Double Fifth, datable by another 6th century source.{{Refn|''[[Jingchu Suishiji]]''}} 《荊楚歲時記》(6th c.), under the "Fifth Day of the Fifth Month" heading.<ref name=jingchu-suishiji/> Modern media has printed a version of the legend which says that the locals had rushed out in [[dragonboat]]s to try retrieve his body and threw packets of rice into the river to distract the fish from eating the poet's body.<ref>[http://paper.sznews.com/szdaily/20050607/ca1652333.htm The origin of tsungtsu] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515160118/http://paper.sznews.com/szdaily/20050607/ca1652333.htm |date=May 15, 2007 }}</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|Dragon Boat Festival}}
''Zongzi'' (sticky rice dumplings) are traditionally eaten during the [[Dragon Boat Festival|Duanwu Festival]] (Double Fifth Festival) which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the [[Chinese lunisolar calendar]], and commonly known as the "Dragon Boat Festival" in English. The festival falls each year on a day in late-May to mid-June in the International calendar.

The practice of eating ''zongzi'' on the Double Fifth or [[summer solstice]] is concretely documented in literature from around the late Han (2nd–3rd centuries).{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The claim that the ''zongzi'' dates to the [[Spring and Autumn period]] occurs in a book by a non-expert ({{interlanguage link|Dong Qiang|zh|董强 (1967年)}}, a French literature professor and translator), and only an unnamed "Record" is cited as evidence.<ref name=dong/> Other web sources concur with this claim.}} At the end of the [[Eastern Han dynasty]], people made ''zong'', also called ''jiao shu'', lit. "horned/angled millet") by wrapping [[sticky rice]] with the leaves of the ''[[Zizania latifolia]]'' plant ({{zh||t=菰|p=gu}}, a sort of wild rice<ref name=dong/>) and boiling<!-- not steaming--> them in [[lye]] (grass-and-[[wood ash]] water).<ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-fsty/> The name ''jiao shu'' may imply  "ox-horn shape",<ref name=dong/> or cone-shape. That the ''zong'' or ''ziao shu'' prepared in this way was eaten on the occasion of the Double Fifth (Duanwu) is documented in works as early as the ''[[Fengsu Tongyi]]'', AD 195).<ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-fsty/> These festive rice dumplings are also similarly described in General [[Zhou Chu]] (236–297)'s ''Fengtu Ji'', "Record of Local Folkways"<ref name=jingchu-suishiji/>{{sfnp|Hsu|2004|pp=39–40}}<ref name=chinese_ausp/> Various sources claim that this ''Fengtu Ji'' contains the first documented reference regarding ''zongzi'',<ref name=li2018/><ref name=wu2007/> even though it dates somewhat later than the ''Fengsu Tongyi''.

In the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)|Jin dynasty]] ({{zh|t=晋|labels=no}}, AD 266–420), ''zongzi'' was officially a [[Dragon Boat Festival]] food.<ref name=xinhuanet/><ref name="Wei">{{Cite book|last=Wei|first=Liming|title=Chinese festivals|date=2011|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-18659-9|edition=Updated|location=Cambridge|pages=38–39|oclc=751763923}}</ref> Anecdotally, an official called {{interlanguage link|Lu Xun (Jin dynasty)|zh|卢循|lt=Lu Xun}} from the Jin dynasty once sent ''zongzi'' which used {{interlanguage link|yizhiren|zh|益智仁|lt=''yizhiren''}} ({{zh|益智仁}}, the [[fruit]] of ''[[Alpinia]] oxyphylla'' or sharp leaf [[galangal]]) as additional filling; this type of dumpling was then dubbed ''yizhi zong'' ({{zh|益智粽}}, literally "dumplings to increase wisdom").<ref name=xinhuanet/><ref name=dict-bencaogangmu-3/> Later in the [[Northern and Southern dynasties]], mixed ''zongzi'' appeared, the rice was filled with fillings such as meat, chestnuts, [[jujube]]s, red beans,{{Refn|Actually, "chestnut and jujube dates" ({{zh|t=栗棗}}) were already documented in the ''[[Fengsu Tongyi]]'' account of ''zong''.<ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-fsty/>}}<ref name="Wei"/> and they were exchanged as gifts to relatives and friends.<ref name=xinhuanet>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/local/2017-05/28/c_1121053724.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225010618/http://www.xinhuanet.com/local/2017-05/28/c_1121053724.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |title=Zongzi fazhanjianshi.. |script-title=zh:粽子发展简史：古称 “角黍” 晋代加入中药材-新华网 |trans-title=Brief developmental history of the zongzi dumpling.. |website=www.xinhuanet.com}}</ref><ref name="Wei"/>

In the 6th century ([[Sui dynasty|Sui]] to early [[Tang dynasty]]), the dumpling is also being referred to as "tubular ''zong''" ({{zh|t=筒糉/筒粽|p=tongzong}}), and they were being made by being packed inside "young bamboo" tubes.{{Refn|name=jcssj-summer|''[[Jingchu Suishiji]]'' 《荊楚歲時記》(6th c.), under the "Summer Solstice" heading.<ref name=jingchu-suishiji/>}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Here following Ian Chapman who renders (''tong zong'') as "tubular ''zong''".<ref name=jingchu-suishiji/>}} The 6th century source for this states that the dumplings were eaten on the Summer Solstice,{{Refn|name=jcssj-summer}} (instead of the Double Fifth).

In the [[Tang dynasty]], the shape of ''zongzi'' appeared conical and diamond-shaped, and the rice which was used to make ''zongzi'' was as white as jade.<ref name="Wei"/> ''Datang zongzi'' (i.e. the ''zongzi'' eaten in Tang Imperial period) was also recorded in some [[classical Japan|classical-era]] [[Japanese literature]],<ref name="Wei"/> which was [[Japanese missions to Tang China|heavily influenced by Tang Chinese culture]].

In the [[Northern Song (960–1127)|Northern Song]] dynasty period, the "New augmentation to the ''[[Shuowen Jiezi]]''" ({{zh|t=説文新附|p=Shouwen xinfu}}) glossed ''zong'' as rice with reed leaves wrapped around it.{{efn|The original ''Shuowen Jiezi'' dates to c. AD 100, but this character was added to the dictionary in the 10th century. The leaf plant is given as ''lu'' ({{zh|t=蘆|s=芦|p=lu}}), or "reed".}}<ref name=mingpa2020-06-25/> ''Mijiian Zong'' (zongzi with [[Candied fruit|glacé fruit]]) was also popular in the Song dynasty.<ref name="Wei"/> Also during the Song dynasty, there were many [[preserved fruit]] ''zongzi''. At this time also appeared a [[Chinese pavilion|pavilion]] filled with ''zongzi'' for advertising, which showed that eating ''zongzi'' in the Song dynasty had been very fashionable.

In the [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] and [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] dynasties, the wrapping material had changed from ''gu'' (wild rice) leaf to ''ruo'' ({{zh|t=箬|labels=no}}; the ''[[Indocalamus tessellatus]]'' bamboo) leaf, and then to reed leaves,<ref name="Wei"/>{{dubious|date=August 2020}}<!--contradicts fact that reed leaves were recorded earlier in the Shuowen dictionary augmentation of the Sung dynasty--> and filled with materials like [[Sweet bean paste|bean paste]], [[Pine nut|pine nut kernel]], [[pork]], [[walnut]],<ref name="Wei"/> [[jujube]], and so on. The varieties of ''zongzi'' were more diverse.

During the Ming and [[Qing dynasties]], ''zongzi'' became auspicious food. At that time, scholars who took the [[imperial examination]]s would eat "pen ''zongzi''", which was specially given to them at home, before going to the examination hall.  Because it looked long and thin like a [[writing brush]], the pronunciation of "pen ''zongzi''" is similar to the Chinese word for "pass", which was for good omen.{{failed verification|reason=Source mentions 枣粽 (jujube zongzi) being phonetically similar to 早中 (early passing-of-exam), without any mention of a penbrush [presumably 笔粽]|date=January 2022}}  [[Ham]] ''zongzi'' appeared in the Qing dynasty.<ref name="news.youth.cn">{{Cite web|url=http://news.youth.cn/sh/201606/t20160606_8090573.htm |title=端午节吃粽子的来历由来__中国青年网|website=news.youth.cn}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=July 2020}}

Every year in early May of the lunar calendar, the Chinese people still soak glutinous rice, wash the leaves and wrap up ''zongzi''.<ref name="Wei"/>

== Description ==
[[File:Video of Zongzi being made in Hainan, China.webm|thumb|left|Video of ''zongzi'' being made in [[Hainan]], China]]
[[File:Arts et Métiers.feuilles zongzi.Duanwu jie2018.jpg|thumb|upright|Prepackaged dried bamboo leaves for making ''zongzi'']]
The shapes of ''zongzi'' vary,<ref name="Schmidt Fieldhouse 2007 p. 27">{{cite book | last1=Schmidt | first1=A. | last2=Fieldhouse | first2=P. | title=The World Religions Cookbook | publisher=Greenwood Press | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-313-33504-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORy2aVD7cEgC&pg=PA27 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | pages=27–28}}</ref> and range from being approximately [[tetrahedra]]l in southern China to an elongated [[cone]] in northern China. In the [[Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall]] in Taipei, plastic mock-ups of rectangular ''zongzi'' are displayed as an example of the ''zongzi'' eaten by Chiang Kai-shek.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Wrapping ''zongzi'' neatly is a skill that is passed down through [[family|families]], as are the recipes. Making zongzi is traditionally a family event in which everyone helps out.

While traditional ''zongzi'' are wrapped in bamboo leaves,<ref name="Thurman 2016">{{cite web | last=Thurman | first=Jim | title=Where to Find Chinese Zongzi, the Sweet Pork-Filled Tamales Wrapped in Bamboo | website=L.A. Weekly | date=June 9, 2016 | url=http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/where-to-find-chinese-zongzi-the-sweet-pork-filled-tamales-wrapped-in-bamboo-7007641 | access-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref> the leaves of [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus]],<ref name="Liao 2014 p. 68">{{cite book | last=Liao | first=Y. | title=Food and Festivals of China | publisher=Mason Crest | series=China: The Emerging Superpower | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-4222-9448-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oTTBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT68 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | page=pt68}}</ref> [[Reed (plant)|reed]],<ref name="Jing 2000 p. 105">{{cite book | last=Jing | first=J. | title=Feeding China's Little Emperors: Food, Children, and Social Change | publisher=Stanford University Press | year=2000 | isbn=978-0-8047-3134-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NPI7wHge6CcC&pg=PA105 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | page=105}}</ref> [[maize]], [[banana]],<ref name="Mayhew Miller English 2002 p. 121">{{cite book | last1=Mayhew | first1=B. | last2=Miller | first2=K. | last3=English | first3=A. | title=South-West China | publisher=Lonely Planet Publications | series=LONELY PLANET SOUTH-WEST CHINA | year=2002 | isbn=978-1-86450-370-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sm-2FZavr9QC&pg=PA121 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | page=121}}</ref> [[Canna (plant)|canna]], [[Alpinia zerumbet|shell ginger]], and [[Pandanus|pandan]] sometimes are used as substitutes in other countries. Each kind of leaf imparts its own unique aroma and flavor to the rice.

The fillings used for ''zongzi'' vary from region to region, but the [[rice]] used is almost 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. In the north, fillings are mostly red bean paste and [[tapioca]] or [[taro]]. Northern style ''zongzi'' tend to be sweet<ref name="Gong 2007 p. 13">{{cite book | last=Gong | first=W. | title=Lifestyle in China | publisher=China Intercontinental Press | series=Journey into China | year=2007 | isbn=978-7-5085-1102-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=33DE2sJEjH0C&pg=PA12 | access-date=November 5, 2016 | pages=12–13}}</ref> and dessert-like. In the northern region of China, ''zongzi'' filled with [[jujube]]s are popular.<ref name="Wei"/>

Southern-style ''zongzi'', however, tend to be more savoury or salty.<ref name="Gong 2007 p. 13" /> Fillings of Southern-style ''zongzi'' include ham,<ref name="Wei" /> salted duck egg, [[pork belly]], taro, shredded pork or chicken, Chinese sausage, pork fat, and [[Shiitake|shiitake mushrooms]].<ref name="Stepanchuk">{{Cite book |last=Stepanchuk |first=Carol|title=Mooncakes and hungry ghosts : festivals of China|date=1991 |publisher=China Books & Periodicals |others=Charles Choy Wong |isbn=0-8351-2481-9 |location=San Francisco |pages=47 |oclc=25272938}}</ref>  However, as the variations of ''zongzi'' styles have traveled and become mixed, today one can find all kinds of them at traditional markets, and their types are not confined to which side of the [[Yellow River]] they originated from.

''Zongzi'' need to be [[Steaming|steamed]] or [[Boiling|boiled]] for several hours depending on how the rice is prepared prior to being added, along with the fillings. With the advent of modern food processing, pre-cooked ''zongzi'' (usually in [[vacuum pack]]s or [[frozen food|frozen]]) are now available.

=== Fillings ===
[[File:Zong Zi from Cheung Kee Sun Sum Yeung Nam For in Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|When offered for sale at the same time, ''zongzi'' with different fillings may be identified by shape, size, or colored string.]]

Sweet:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[White sugar]] (mixed into rice, frequently present)
* [[Mung bean]]s, split and dehulled
* [[Red bean paste]]<ref name="Schmidt Fieldhouse 2007 p. 27"/>
* Lotus seed
* [[Yam (vegetable)|Yam]]
* [[Jujube]]<ref name="Schmidt Fieldhouse 2007 p. 27"/>
{{div col end}}

Salty or savory:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Soy sauce]] (mixed into rice, almost always present)
* [[Chinese sausage]]<ref name="Liao 2014 p. 68"/>
* Mushrooms, preferably [[Shiitake|xiang gu]]<ref name="Liao 2014 p. 68"/>
* [[Salted duck egg]] yolks, or hard-boiled eggs<ref name="Schmidt Fieldhouse 2007 p. 27"/>
* Pork, such as ham and/or pork belly<ref name="Liao 2014 p. 68"/>
* ''[[Conpoy]]'' (dried scallops)
* [[Red cooking|Red-cooked]] meats
* [[Chicken (food)|Chicken]]<ref name="Stepanchuk Wong 1991 p. 47"/>
{{div col end}}

Either or neutral:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* Nuts<ref name="Liao 2014 p. 68"/>
* [[Water chestnut]]s<ref name="Stepanchuk Wong 1991 p. 47">{{cite book | last1=Stepanchuk | first1=C. | last2=Wong | first2=C.C. | title=Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China | publisher=China Books & Periodicals | year=1991 | isbn=978-0-8351-2481-2 | url=https://archive.org/details/mooncakeshungryg00caro | url-access=registration | access-date=November 5, 2016 | page=[https://archive.org/details/mooncakeshungryg00caro/page/47 47]}}</ref>
* Cooked [[peanut]]s
* Vegetables
* Meat Floss
{{div col end}}

== Variations ==

===Mainland China===
[[File:Two Zongzi styles.jpg|thumb|Southern and Northern Chinese style ''zongzi'']]
[[File:Two Zongzi styles, inside.jpg|thumb|Unwrapped ''zongzi'' with pork and mung beans (left), pork and peanuts (right)]]
*''Jiaxing zongzi'' (嘉興粽子): This is a kind of ''zongzi'' famous in mainland China and named after the city [[Jiaxing]], Zhejiang. Typically savory with the rice mixed with soy sauce and having pork, chestnut and salted duck egg yolk as its filling, but sweet ones with [[mung bean]] or red bean filling also exist.
* ''Jia zong'' (假粽): Instead of glutinous rice, balls of glutinous rice flour (so no individual grains of rice are discernible) are used to enclose the fillings of the ''zongzi''. These "fake ''zong''" are typically smaller than most and are much stickier.
* [[File:China Northwestern Style Zongzi.jpg|thumb|Northwestern style ''zongzi'']]''Jianshui zong'' (碱水粽): These "alkaline water ''zong''"  are typically eaten as a dessert item rather than as part of the main meal. The glutinous rice is treated with ''jianzongshui'' (碱粽水, alkali[ne] ''zongzi'' water, aqueous [[sodium carbonate]] or [[potassium carbonate]]), giving them their distinctive yellow color. ''Jianshui zong'' typically contain either no filling or are filled with a sweet mixture, such as [[sweet bean paste]]. Sometimes, a certain redwood sliver ([[Biancaea sappan|蘇木]]) is inserted for color and flavor. They are often eaten with sugar or light syrup.
* ''Cantonese jung'' (廣東糉): This is representative of the southern variety of ''zongzi'', usually consisting of marinated meat, such as pork belly, and duck, with other ingredients like mung bean paste, mushrooms, dried scallops, and salted egg yolk. Cantonese ''jung'' are small, the front is square, back has a raised sharp angle, shaped like an awl.{{explain|date=October 2021}}
*''[[Chaozhou|Chiu Chou]] jung'' (潮州粽): This is a variation of Cantonese ''jung'' with red bean paste, pork belly, chestnut, mushroom, and dried shrimp, in a triangular prism.<ref>{{Cite web|title=北方粽／南方粽／廣東粽／潮州粽 有何分別？|url=https://www.hangheung.com.hk/blogs/2bakery/rice-dumplings-species|access-date=2021-06-14|website=恆香老餅家 Hang Heung Cake Shop|language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[Minnan region|Banlam]] zang'' (閩南粽): [[Xiamen]], [[Quanzhou]] area is very famous for its pork rice dumplings, made with braised pork with pork belly, plus mushrooms, shrimp, and so on.
* ''[[Sichuan]] zong'' (四川粽): Sichuan people like to eat spicy and "tingly-numbing" (麻) sense food, so they make spicy rice dumplings. They add [[Sichuan peppercorn]]s, [[chili powder]], Sichuan salt, and a little preserved pork, wrapped into four-cornered dumplings. Cooked and then roasted, it tastes tender and flavorful.
* ''[[Beijing]] zong'' (北京粽): The Beijing ''zong'' are sweet and often eaten cold.<ref name="Stepanchuk"/> Common fillings include red dates and bean paste, as well as preserved fruit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/232981414_100155619|title=不同地区的粽子,你了解多少?|website=www.sohu.com}}</ref>
* ''[[Shanxi]] zong'' (山西粽): In Shanxi, zongzi are often made with yellow glutinous millet or sticky yellow rice instead of the more commonly used white glutinous rice. Typical fillings include red dates or sweetened red beans. The resulting texture is notably chewy and dense, offering a distinctively hearty flavor.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Yi |last2=Yao |first2=Yuan |last3=Gu |first3=Zhengbiao |last4=Peng |first4=Yuhui |last5=Cheng |first5=Li |last6=Li |first6=Zhaofeng |last7=Li |first7=Caiming |last8=Chen |first8=Zhaogui |last9=Hong |first9=Yan |date=2022-11-01 |title=Effects of different waxy rice varieties and their starch on the taste quality of zongzi |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0733521022001606 |journal=Journal of Cereal Science |volume=108 |article-number=103571 |doi=10.1016/j.jcs.2022.103571 |issn=0733-5210|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Taiwan===
* Taiwanese ''zongzi'' are regionally split by the process of cooking rather than filling.
** Northern Taiwanese ''zongzi'' (北部粽) are wrapped with husks of ''[[Phyllostachys]] makinoi'' bamboo (桂竹籜), then steamed.
** Southern Taiwanese ''zongzi'' (南部粽) are wrapped with leaves of ''[[Bambusa oldhamii]]'' (麻竹葉), then boiled.
* The filling is classified simply by eating habits:
** Vegetarian ''zongzi'' in Taiwan is made with dry peanut flakes.<ref name="Stepanchuk"/>
** The meat-filled ''zongzi'' in Taiwan is made with fresh pork, chicken, duck, egg yolk, mushroom, dried shrimps, or fried scallions.<ref name="Stepanchuk"/>

===Japan===
* Japanese ''chimaki'' are very similar to the Chinese versions using various species of the bamboo ''[[Sasa (plant)|Sasa]]'' but possibly with different fillings, and are divided into savory and sweet types.<ref name="Ung">{{cite web |last1=Ung |first1=Judy |title=Facts About Japanese Chimaki |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/chimaki-japanese-dumplings-2030931 |website=The Spruce Eats |access-date=2021-10-13 |language=en |date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
* A special sweet ''chimaki'' is eaten on [[Children's Day (Japan)|Children's Day]] (''kodomo no hi'', May 5), and is identifiable by its long narrow conical shape.<ref name="Ung"/>

===Mauritius===
* Sweet ''zong'' is a ''zongzi'' made of a plain rice (i.e. without any fillings) which is eaten with crushed [[peanut]] in sugar.
* Salty ''zong'' contains meat, beans and other fillings in the rice.

===Malaysia and Singapore===
* [[File:Nyonya Zongzi.jpg|alt=Nyonya Chang on sale in Singapore.|thumb|Nyonya Chang on sale in Singapore.]]''[[Nyonya]] chang'' (娘惹粽): A specialty of [[Peranakan cuisine]], these ''zongzi'' are made similarly to those from southern China. However, [[Pandanus amaryllifolius|pandan leaves]] are often used, in addition to bamboo leaves, for the wrapping while minced pork with candied [[winter melon]], a spice mix, and sometimes ground roasted peanuts are used as the fillings. As with a common practice found in Peranakan pastries, part of the rice on these ''zongzi'' are often dyed blue with the extract from [[Clitoria ternatea|blue pea flower]] to add to the aesthetic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huangkitchen.com/nyonya-rice-dumplings/|title=Nyonya Rice Dumplings Recipe (Zong Zi) 娘惹粽子|date=June 17, 2015|website=Huang Kitchen}}</ref>

== Museum ==
The Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum in [[Jiaxing, China]] has exhibits of the cultural history and various styles of ''zongzi''.<ref name="Museum">{{cite web |title=Museums in Zhejang: Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum_In Zhejiang |url=http://inzhejiang.com/ZhejiangFocus/zm/201906/t20190618_10362763.shtml |website=inzhejiang.com |access-date=2021-10-13}}</ref><ref name="Museum2">{{cite web |title=Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum |url=https://www.chinawiki.net/thread/48/8841.html |website=www.chinawiki.net |access-date=2021-10-13}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" class="center" caption="Variations of zongzi">
File:Lady makes zongzi in Zhujiajiao, Shanghai by Augapfel.jpg|''Zongzi'' assembly in Shanghai
File:Yellowzongzi.jpg|Jianshui ''zongzi'' without fillings
File:福粽 (34408977856).jpg|Japanese-style ''chimaki'' may have a long narrow conical shape
File:A Zongzi of Great from Nam Long Congee Shop.jpg|A very large ''zongzi''
File:Maxim's ice zongzi 2 3 (5972882436).jpg|Dessert ''zongzi'' made with translucent glutinous rice paste
File:Collections in Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum 10 2013-11.JPG|Fancy decorated ''zongzi'' in a museum display
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Food|China|Taiwan}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Bánh lá]] 
* [[Bánh chưng]]
* [[Bánh tét]]
* [[Lo mai gai]], or lotus leaf wrap
* [[Chinese sticky rice]]
* [[Corunda]]
* [[Chunga pitha]]
* [[Ketupat]]
* [[Lontong]]
* [[Onigiri]]
* [[Suman (food)|Suman]]
* [[Salted duck egg]], another food eaten in the Dragon Boat Festival
* [[Tamale]], another food wrapped in leaves and steamed
{{Div col end}}

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
;Citations
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<ref name=chinese_ausp>{{cite book|author=Beijing Foreign Languages Press |author-link=Foreign Languages Press |others=Shirley Tan (tr.) |title=Chinese Auspicious Culture |publisher=Asiapac Books |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oen_AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 |page=36|isbn=<!--9812296425, -->9789812296429}}</ref>

<ref name=cmlc36>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Chi |first=Hsing (Qi Xing) |author-link=<!--Qi Xing--> |title=Chu Yuan |dictionary=Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism |volume=36 |publisher=[[Gale Research Company]] |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YNFkAAAAMAAJ |pages=125, 95 (in brief), 132 (notes) |isbn=0-78764-378-5}}: "chiao-lung"</ref>

<ref name=dict-bencaogangmu-3>{{cite book|last1=Zheng |first1=Jinsheng |author-link=<!--Zheng Jinsheng--> |last2=Kirk |first2=Nalini |author2-link=<!--Nalini Kirk--> |last3=Buell|first3=Paul D. |author3-link=<!--Paul D. Buell--> |last4=Unschuld |first4= Paul U. |author4-link=<!-- Paul U. Unschuld--> |title=Dictionary of the Ben Cao Gang Mu, Volume 3: Persons and Literary Sources |publisher=University of California Press|year=2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeNDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA313 |page=313 |isbn=<!--0520291972, -->9780520291973}}</ref>

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<ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-fsty>''[[Gujin Tushu Jicheng]]'' 『古今圖書集成』 Book 51, excerpt from "[[:zh:s:Page:Gujin Tushu Jicheng, Volume 019 (1700-1725).djvu/89#《風俗通義》|''Fengsu Tongyi''《風俗通義》]]".</ref>
<ref name=gujin_tushu_jicheng-bk51-xqjj>''[[Gujin Tushu Jicheng]]'' 『古今圖書集成』Book 51,  excerpt from "[[:zh:s:Page:Gujin Tushu Jicheng, Volume 019 (1700-1725).djvu/89#《續齊諧記》|''Xu Qixieji''《續齊諧記》]] .</ref>

<ref name=jingchu-suishiji>{{citation|editor-last=Chapman |editor-first=Ian |editor-link=<!--Ian Chapman (Sinologist)--> |others=Wendy Swartz; Robert Ford Campany; Yang Lu: Jessey Choo (gen. edd.) |chapter=28 Festival and Ritual Calendar: Selections from ''Record of the Year and Seasons of Jing-Chu'' |title=Early Medieval China: A Sourcebook |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2014 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AeiIl2y6vJQC&pg=PA479 |page=479 <!--468–493--> |isbn=<!--0231531001, -->9780231531009}}</ref>

<ref name=li2018>{{citation|last=Li|first=Yunnan 李雲南 |author-link=<!--李雲南--> |title=Jingchu diqu duanwu yinshi minsu tanxi |script-title=zh:荊楚地区端午饮食民俗探析 |trans-title=Analysis of the folklore of eating and drinking habits on the Double Fifth in the Jingchu region |editor-link=<!--李雲南--> |editor1=田兆元 |editor2=桑俊 |work=『追本溯源——凤舟竞渡暨端午文化学术研讨会论文集』 |publisher=Beijing Book Co. Inc.
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<ref name=mingpa2020-06-25>{{cite news|last=Xu |first=Ruoxin 許若馨 |author-link=<!--許若馨--> |title=Duanwu jie / zong, zong, zong nage zi cai zhengcue? |trans-title=Double Fifth Festival/zong, zong, zong which character is correct? |script-title=zh:端午節｜糉、粽、糭哪個字才正確？中文系講師端午節「糉」字逐個解 |newspaper=Ming Pao 明報 |date=25 June 2020 |url=https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/article/20200625/s00001/1592921167670/%E7%AB%AF%E5%8D%88%E7%AF%80-%E7%B3%89-%E7%B2%BD-%E7%B3%AD%E5%93%AA%E5%80%8B%E5%AD%97%E6%89%8D%E6%AD%A3%E7%A2%BA-%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E7%B3%BB%E8%AC%9B%E5%B8%AB%E7%AB%AF%E5%8D%88%E7%AF%80%E3%80%8C%E7%B3%89%E3%80%8D%E5%AD%97%E9%80%90%E5%80%8B%E8%A7%A3}}, citing scholar Hung Yeuk Chun 若震認.</ref>

<ref name=smithsonianmag2009-05-14>{{Cite web|last=Lee-St. John |first=Jeninne |author-link=<!--Jeninne Lee-St. John--> |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-legends-behind-the-dragon-boat-festival-135634582/|title=The Legends Behind the Dragon Boat Festival|website=Smithsonian Magazine |date=14 May 2009}}</ref>

<ref name=wu2007>{{cite book|last=Wu |first=Yue 望岳 |author-link=<!--望岳--> |title=Ershisi jieqi |script-title=zh:二十四節氣與食療 |trans-title=Twenty-four solar terms prescribed food therapy |publisher=Jilin Science and Technology Press 吉林科学技术出版社 |year=2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLiNDwAAQBAJ&q=%22角黍%22+%22最早%22&pg=PT147 }}</ref>

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}}

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{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.foodmayhem.com/2009/05/zong-zi-part-2-recipe.html Authentic Zongzi Recipe]

{{Glutinous rice dishes}}
{{Dumplings}}
{{Indonesian cuisine}}
{{Malaysian cuisine|state=autocollapse}} <!-- Temporarily patched to work around apparent bug -->

[[Category:Chinese bakery products]]
[[Category:Chinese rice dishes]]
[[Category:Dumplings]]
[[Category:Glutinous rice dishes]]
[[Category:Malaysian cuisine]]
[[Category:Mauritian cuisine]]
[[Category:Singaporean cuisine]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:Chinese dumplings]]
[[Category:Chinese cuisine]]
[[Category:Japanese cuisine]]