Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Zongzi (粽子)
In China, the sense of ceremony during the Dragon Boat Festival surely involves gathering with family to share the joy of making and enjoying zongzi together, savoring the warmth of home in togetherness. Salted egg yolk and pork zongzi, with its sticky rice soaked in flavorful sauce, succulent pork, and the crispy, oily richness of salted egg yolk, is absolutely delightful with every bite.
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If you're interested in zongzi and want to learn about them and try making them at home, let's explore:
1.What is Zongzi?
Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food made by wrapping glutinous rice in bamboo or reed leaves and steaming it. The custom of eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival has persisted for centuries in China and has also spread to other regions such as Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Due to varying culinary preferences across China, zongzi comes in different regional flavors. In terms of taste, there are two main types of zongzi: savory and sweet. Generally, people in the northern regions prefer sweet zongzi filled with red bean paste or dates, while those in the southern regions favor savory zongzi filled with salted egg yolks, pork, and mushrooms. As for fillings, northern varieties include date paste zongzi, mixed grain zongzi, and yellow millet zongzi, while southern varieties feature fillings like mung beans, pork belly, red bean paste, ham, shiitake mushrooms, and salted egg yolks.
2.Why eat zongzi?
Enjoying zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival has become a traditional custom, with its origin widely believed to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. On this special day, people use bamboo tubes filled with glutinous rice, cast into rivers as an offering to Qu Yuan, making it one of the oldest origins of zongzi in China. Besides honoring Qu Yuan, zongzi, as a festive delicacy during the Dragon Boat Festival, symbolizes blessings and reunion. Whether during the festival or on regular days, eating zongzi is an indispensable part of Chinese traditional culture, deeply loved by people.
3.Why use glutinous rice for making zongzi?
Glutinous rice is chosen for making zongzi due to its unique characteristics. Compared to other types of rice, glutinous rice has higher stickiness, allowing the cooked zongzi to better hold its shape and have a more sticky and elastic texture.
Glutinous rice can be divided into two types: round glutinous rice and long glutinous rice. Round glutinous rice has plump grains, a white color, moderate stickiness, and low transparency, which are the reasons why it is commonly used for making zongzi.
4.How long should glutinous rice be soaked?
Generally, if using high-quality glutinous rice with high moisture content, it is recommended to soak it for 2-3 hours to prevent excessive microbial growth that may affect the taste. If the glutinous rice is of lower quality, it is advisable to extend the soaking time to 5-6 hours. However, it's important to note that soaking for too long can cause the glutinous rice to become overly soft, affecting the texture of the zongzi.
5.How to store zongzi?
Raw zongzi can be soaked in cold water for a short time to cool down, keeping the freshness of the bamboo leaves or reed leaves and preventing moisture loss to ensure the texture remains unchanged. For long-term storage, it should be cooked before being stored. Cooked zongzi should be placed in the freezer instead of the refrigerator to avoid spoilage. The correct freezing temperature is between 3-5 degrees Celsius.
Today, I'm presenting a savory zongzi popular among people in southern China - salted egg yolk and pork zongzi. We'll be using the most common and simple zongzi wrapping method. Follow along patiently, and you too can make zongzi that will fill you with a sense of accomplishment and earn praise from your family.
INGREDIENTS
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- 70.5 ounces glutinous rice
ACCESSORIES
- 28.2 ounces pork belly
- 20 salted egg yolks
- 0.7 ounces green onions, cut into segments
- 0.7 ounces ginger, shredded
SEASONINGS
- 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon + 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1 gram salt
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Soak 70.5 ounces of glutinous rice in cold water for about 5 hours until it can be easily crushed with your hands.
Tips:
1）Use round glutinous rice because it is softer and stickier than long-grain glutinous rice.
2）During the soaking period, change the water 1-2 times. If the water is not changed frequently, the glutinous rice may spoil.
3）Soaking the glutinous rice for 5 hours allows it to fully absorb moisture, resulting in softer and stickier zongzi.
4）Glutinous rice is not easily digestible. People with gastrointestinal discomfort or high blood sugar should eat less or avoid it.
STEP 2
Cut 28.2 ounces of pork belly into chunks and separate 20 salted duck egg yolks from the whites. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.
Tips:
1）Putting a whole salted duck egg yolk in each zongzi may be too large. You can cut the salted duck egg yolks in half and use half of a yolk for each zongzi.
2）If you cannot find pre-marinated salted duck eggs, you can purchase vacuum-packed salted duck egg yolks. Remember to thaw them and sprinkle a moderate amount of white wine to remove the fishy odor.
STEP 3
Mix the pork belly with 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 20 grams of green onion segments, and 20 grams of shredded ginger until well combined.
STEP 4
After mixing, seal the pork belly mixture in a plastic bag and marinate it in the refrigerator for 8 hours to enhance the flavor.
STEP 5
Drain the soaked glutinous rice and add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 gram of salt. Mix well.
STEP 6
After mixing, let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 5 hours to enhance the flavor.
Tips:
1）Both the pork belly and glutinous rice should be marinated for a long time to enhance the flavor of the zongzi. Usually, marinating for more than 5 hours is recommended, and it should be done in the refrigerator.
2）It is recommended to stir the glutinous rice every hour to prevent the marinade from settling at the bottom, which may cause the bottom layer of glutinous rice to become saltier.
STEP 7
Clean the fresh bamboo leaves thoroughly, trim off the hard stems at the top and the leaf tips at the bottom. Take two bamboo leaves and overlap them, folding them into a funnel shape from about 1/3 of the way down from the top to the bottom.
Tips:
1）Wear gloves during cleaning to avoid scratching your hands.
2）If using dried or older bamboo leaves, soak them in cold water for about 3 hours after cleaning. This will make the leaves softer and more resilient, reducing the risk of tearing. If short on time, you can boil them for 30 minutes over medium heat, then cleaning.
3）If wrapping zongzi takes a while, continue to soak the bamboo leaves in water to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
4）The two bamboo leaves should not overlap completely. Only overlap the middle 1/2 portion to increase the width of the bamboo leaves.
5）When folding into a funnel shape, remember to press the edges inward slightly to ensure the bottom of the funnel is sealed and won't leak.
STEP 8
Fold the bamboo leaves into a funnel shape as shown.
Tips:
Check the bottom to ensure it's folded; this prevents the glutinousrice from leaking out.
STEP 9
Place a layer of glutinous rice into the funnel, then add half of a salted egg yolk and a piece of pork belly, followed by another layer of glutinous rice. Press it down firmly.
Tips:
Leave a little space when adding the final layer of glutinous rice, ensuring there's at least 0.5cm of space from the edge of the leaf.
STEP 10
Hold the zongzi with your left hand and fold the bamboo leaves over the top with your right hand, covering the rice. Fold the bamboo leaves into a triangular shape, folding down the excess leaves on both sides to create a lid.
STEP 11
After covering, fold the excess leaves to the right.
STEP 12
Press down on the folded side with your left index finger and wrap the zongzi tightly with cotton thread, making 5-6 loops and tying it securely.
Tips:
1）Ensure the zongzi is tightly wrapped to prevent rice from leaking out during cooking.
2）Once wrapped, it's best not to leave the zongzi exposed to air for too long, as they may dry out and crack. It's preferable to soak each wrapped zongzi in water immediately to prevent them from drying out.
STEP 13
Place the wrapped zongzi into a pressure cooker and add water, ensuring it covers the zongzi completely. Once the pressure cooker starts releasing steam, begin timing and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat. After releasing the steam, let it sit for an additional 1 hour for better texture.
Tips:
1）If using a rice cooker, you can use the cooking function for 1 hour, then switch to the keep warm function for 2-3 hours.
2）If using a regular pot, it's recommended to use a deep pot to hold as much water as possible without worrying about it evaporating. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 2 hours. After turning off the heat, let it sit for 1-2 hours.
3）If unsure about the cooking time, you can open one zongzi before turning off the heat to check if it's cooked through.
4）If cooking a large batch of zongzi, it's advisable to cook them in batches. Place the uncooked zongzi in water for soaking, but avoid soaking them for too long. Try to cook them as soon as possible.
5）If the cooked zongzi can be consumed within 3 days, let them cool down and then store them in the refrigerator, submerged in water. For quantities exceeding what can be consumed in 3 days, it's recommended to store them in the freezer. When ready to eat, reheat them until fully cooked.
STEP 14
After cooking, couldn't resist and immediately indulged in one salted egg yolk and pork zongzi. It was absolutely delicious!
Recipe analyzer
- Recipes: Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Zongzi (粽子)
- Main Ingredients:5
- Servings per recipe:1
- Servings size:3.1 kg
-
Energy (calories)：11559 kcal
-
Protein：211.3 g
-
Fat：434.97 g
Why gray?
-
Carbohydrates：1637.55 g
-
Protein: 7%840 kcal
-
Fat: 34%3916 kcal
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Carbohydrates: 59%6811 kcal
The ratio shows whether the proportion of both fatty acids in your diet is optimal. Red color means too much of Omega 6 or too little of Omega 3. The data are rounded off and approximate.
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