🍽️ Meat Zongzi

Glutinous rice wrapped with braised pork and egg yolk, savory and soft.

Quanzhou meat zongzi is a festival staple of southern Fujian, quite different from Jiangnan's sweet rice dumplings. Glutinous rice is seasoned with soy and braising liquid, wrapped with bamboo leaves around braised pork belly, salted egg yolk, chestnut, shiitake and dried shrimp, tied and boiled. Unwrapped, the rice is glossy, savory and sticky, with tender, melt-in meat and oozing yolk. Southern Fujian diners dip zongzi in peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce or garlic vinegar for layered savoriness. Quanzhou families eat them at Dragon Boat Festival, banquets and breakfasts from old shops. A warm zongzi with fish-ball soup is an authentic Quanzhou combination sought near Kaiyuan Temple.