Dragon Boat Dumplings

Today is the fifth day of the fifth lunar moon or, as it is known in China, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. The holiday is in honor of a celebrated poet who lived over 2000 years ago.  Legend has it that Qu Yuan, a minister during China’s era of Warring States, sat by a river and wrote the story of his life before throwing himself into the water to protest the widespread corruption of the day.  Locals took to their boats and frantically paddled around looking for him. When they realized that he was likely drowned, they beat drums to scare away the fish and threw rice dumplings into the water in hope that they would eat this instead of Qu Yuan’s body.

While living in Hong Kong, the focus of the festival was on eating special glutinous rice dumplings and watching dragon boat races on the South China Sea.  The boats, which typically measure thirty or so feet and hold approximately 20 paddlers, are carved with ornate painted dragon heads and tails. A drummer sits at the front beating a large drum to keep pace.

Beijing, of course, is not on a waterway, but our driver did present us with a box of the traditional pyramid-shaped dumplings to try.  Each were wrapped in steamed bamboo leaves and tied with string.  Our ayi instructed us to steam them for twenty minutes and enjoy.  We carefully placed them in our bamboo steamer basket, set it atop our wok, and waited.

Soon our house was filled with the fragrant smell of bamboo, drawing all members of my family to the kitchen.  When the time came, I unwrapped the leaves and steam poured out, as delicious and exotic aromas tempted our taste buds.  Further investigation showed us that two dumplings contained a mixture of dates and bean paste; two pork belly, peanuts, red beans, and salty duck egg yolk; and two dried abalone.  None of us were very fond of the abalone, but Elisa proclaimed the pork and date dumplings to be the best she had ever eaten.   The pictures certainly do not do them justice.

Enjoy other dining stories at Wanderfood Wednesday.