GEORGE TOWN: What began as sharing zong zi with family and friends has grown into a small home-based business during the Dumpling Festival season.
This year, kindergarten teacher Eunice Kow Sun Nee, 45, prepared 500 rice dumplings to meet growing demand driven largely by word of mouth.
Her traditional and Nyonya zong zi carry a sense of nostalgia, as they are made using recipes passed down from her mother.
“The traditional ones are savoury, while the Nyonya version is smaller and combines sweet and salty flavours.
“I initially made them for family and friends because I felt it would be a waste if this skill was not passed on.
“As more people tried them, demand grew, and I began making them to order.
“Most customers place their orders about a month before the festival,” said Kow, who has been carrying on the family tradition for 15 years.
Among the ingredients she prepared were glutinous rice, minced pork, salted egg yolks, dried shrimp, chestnuts, mushrooms and ground peanuts.
While cooking the dumplings was time-consuming, Kow said preparing the bamboo leaves used for wrapping them was the most challenging part of the process.
“The leaves have to be cleaned and boiled before use. Preparation begins two days in advance,” she said. Kow said rising costs have made the annual tradition increasingly expensive.
“When I started making zong zi 15 years ago, the ingredients were much cheaper. Since then, costs have risen three-to-four-fold.”
Despite the long hours and higher expenses, Kow continues to make the dumplings each year to preserve a family tradition.
She also shares the cultural heritage with her kindergarten pupils.
“It is important for them to learn about these traditions and help keep them alive,” she said.
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated today, which is the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and statesman who killed himself by drowning in protest against corruption and political turmoil.
According to tradition, villagers paddled out in boats and threw rice dumplings into the river to prevent fish from consuming his body, giving rise to the custom of eating zong zi during the festival.
