Zongzi

Zongzi

A bunch of rice dumplings tied together with twine
Alternative names	bakcang, bacang, zang, nom asom, Pya Htote , "Joong"
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Chinese-speaking areas
Main ingredients	Glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves
Variations	Chimaki, Lotus leaf wrap, Bánh tẻ, Bánh tét, Bánh chưng

Zongzi (Chinese: 粽子; pinyin: zòngzi), or simply zong (粽; zòng), is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo,reed, or other large flat leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. In the Western world, they are also known as rice dumplings, or sticky rice dumplings.

As it diffused to other regions of Asia over many centuries, zongzi has become known by various names in different languages and cultures. Pya Htote in Burmese-speaking areas (such as Myanmar), Nom Chang in Cambodia, and Bachang or Khanom Chang in Laos and Thailand.

Vietnamese cuisine has also copied this dish as Bánh ú tro or Bánh tro.

In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, zongzi is known as bakcang, bacang, or zang (from Hokkien Chinese: ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bah-chàng), as Hokkien is commonly used among overseas Chinese. Similarly, zongzi is more popularly known as machang among Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines.

Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are traditionally eaten during the Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival), which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (approximately late-May to mid-June).

A popular belief amongst the Chinese of eating zongzi involved commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan's grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying. According to legend, packets of rice were thrown into the river to prevent the fish from eating the poet's body.