Dumplings, also known as “zongzi” or “bachang”, is a traditional Chinese glutinous rice dish with different fillings. It is often wrapped in a triangular pyramid with bamboo leaves.
It is traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. According to folklore, these wrapped rice packets were thrown into the Miluo river to prevent the fish from eating the body of Qu Yuan, a famous and respected Chinese poet.
For the annual Dumpling Festival, Singapore’s hotels, restaurants and traditional stores create new and exotic flavours. Here are some new flavours to try this year!
Cantonese Mung Bean Dumpling
D’Bun
www.dbun.com.sg
Packed with creamy mung beans and glutinous rice and a whole lot of delicious ingredients such as braised pork belly slices, chestnut, mushroom and salted egg. They are offering the Blue Pea Flower Marinated Dumplings this year as well.
Eight Treasure Quinoa Rice Dumpling
Crystal Jade
www.crystaljade.com
Studded with purple quinoa, this meat-free combination features sweet and savoury ingredients such as ‘chai poh’ or preserved salted radish, Japanese Nameko mushrooms, black-eyed beans, dried shiitake mushrooms, red beans and chestnut among others.
Grain Dumpling with Cordyceps Flowers
Hai Tien Lo
shop-panpacificsingapore.panpacific.com
Thoughtfully crafted by Executive Chef Ben Zeng and Dim Sum Chef Ho Kam Fai, this vegetarian-friendly dumpling comes packed with cordyceps flowers, green beans, black sesame, barley, corn and peanuts.
Black Glutinous Rice Dumpling & Pork Belly Rice Dumpling
Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert
www.shengkeedessert.com
New this year is the black glutinous rice version of their HK Glutinous Rice Dumpling. It is packed with generous fillings of succulent handmade roast pork belly, green bean, lotus seeds, and chestnuts. They are also bringing back the 2019 Premium Ham & Scallop Rice Dumpling as a seasonal special this year.
Preserved Vegetables with Heura Chicken Rice Dumpling
Yan Cantonese Cuisine
www.yan.com.sg
This is a vegan-friendly option which claims to be similar to those made with real meat. Strips of plant-based Heura chicken are seasoned and stir-fried, then folded into preserved mustard greens (mei cai) that is specially imported from Hong Kong and simmered for hours.
Pork Ba Zhang Burger Set
Route 65
www.route65sg.com
While it may not look the part, this unique spin on the traditional dumpling is made with five spices, thinly-sliced pork belly, onions, red chilli, shimeji mushrooms and tomatoes. With rice burger buns, it’s a very clever creation. The set includes a Black Lemon Tea with Lychee Boba drink.
Roast Chicken/Duck Rice Dumpling
Carlton Hotel Singapore
www.signatures.carltonhotel.sg
This year, Carlton Hotel Singapore’s Dim Sum Chef Yiu Cheuk Yin puts a new spin on the rice dumpling by infusing local flavours into the savoury treat. The Roast Chicken or Duck Rice Dumplings come topped with slices of roast chicken or slices of roast duck and are filled with pork, dried scallops, salted duck egg, dried shrimp, chestnuts, mushrooms and green beans.
