Wrap zongzi with it and the whole building smells wonderful - Grandma can eat them for 10 days straight without getting tired of them
Which leaves can be used to wrap zongzi?
1. Reed leaves
Reed leaves are truly the king of zongzi leaves. People in the north love to use them, and the zongzi they make are fragrant, soft and glutinous. Reed leaves can be used once and then thrown away, or washed clean and reused.
2. Indocalamus leaves
Indocalamus leaves are the leaves of a broad-leaved bamboo, dark green in color, with a unique bamboo fragrance. People in the south use them more often. Indocalamus leaves can not only wrap zongzi, but can also be laid on steamer racks to steam nian gao and glutinous rice.
3. Lotus leaves
Lotus leaves are often used to wrap food ingredients, such as lotus leaf glutinous rice chicken, lotus leaf steamed pork with rice flour, lotus leaf pork ribs and so on, so it is no surprise that they are used to wrap zongzi. The only drawback is that the leaves are brittle and tear easily when wrapping.
4. Banana leaves
People in Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan and even Vietnam use banana leaves to wrap zongzi. The leaves are broad and tough. After washing and cutting, the zongzi wrapped with them come out neat and square.
5. Corn husks
Probably many people do not know that corn husks can also be used to wrap zongzi. The slightly translucent leaves are soft and tough, and the zongzi wrapped with them have a glossy yellow color and a slight sweet fragrance of corn.
6. Bamboo shoot skins
In Ningbo, Changzhou, Sichuan and other southern areas, many people like to use bamboo shoot skins to wrap zongzi. Because the outer skin is covered with many brown spots, netizens jokingly call them "leopard-print zongzi."
How are northern and southern zongzi wrapped?
Northern four-corner zongzi
1. Features
Northern zongzi are not large, have a slanted four-corner shape, and mainly taste sweet. The fillings include red dates, red bean paste, candied fruit and preserved fruit. Of course, you can also steam plain white zongzi and dip them directly in white sugar to eat.
2. Method
Stack 2 zongzi leaves together, roll them into a cone shape, add the filling, then fold the upper part of the leaves downward to completely cover the zongzi, then tie it firmly with string and it is ready to steam!
Southern four-corner zongzi
1. Features
Southern zongzi generally mainly taste savory, and the fillings are very rich, including cured meat, egg yolk, dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, mung beans, char siu, dried shrimp, chestnuts and so on.
2. Method
First fold a large zongzi leaf in half, fold the double-layered lower edge upward and press it firmly with your hand, then open it and fill it with the filling. Finally, fold the excess leaves over, completely cover it, tie it up and put it in the pot.
Triangular zongzi
1. Features
Triangular zongzi exist in both the north and the south and can be sweet or savory. Plain yellow, char siu and candied dates can all be used as fillings. Triangular zongzi are flat in shape, use few ingredients and still look big. The zongzi generally bought in stores are this kind.
2. Method
Directly roll a broad leaf into a cone shape, fill it with the filling, then fold the upper part of the leaf down, press it firmly along the two sides of the triangle, and tie it up well.
Flower lovers, which flavor of zongzi do you like to eat?
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