Dumpling Festival ..

Remember my post about Dumpling (Chinese: Bah Chang, Indonesia: Bakcang)? If not, please click here dumpling-bakcang. In the modern age, almost everyday we can find, buy and eat dumpling. For Chinese, there is certain meaning for eating dumpling. Wanna know the story behind it?? Continue reading...

According to Chinese calendar, today (31 May 2006) is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
On this day, the Chinese celebrate the Duan Wu Jie, also known as Dumpling Festival.
The legend behind the festival ss started back in the fifth century (340-278 B.C.) as Qu Yuan was a well-loved and righteous court official in China. He was sacked because of some conspiracy by the corrupt officials whom feel jealous of him. After been sacked, he travelled around the country, composing poem about his love to his country and denouncing corruption. Overcome with grief and to protest the corrupt state of the country, he committed suicide by drowning himself into Mi-Lo River. Upon hearing his death, the Chinese people felt this loss deeply, as he was a much beloved poet. Local folk searched for him in the river, while dropping dumplings of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves into the river in order to keep the fishes from attacking Qu Yuan's body. Since that time, it has been a custom that on this day Chinese will enjoy dumplings as a memorial to the patriotic poet.

Usually dumpling festival come together with another festival called the Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival.

Want to try to make your own dumpling????
Can check the following website: http://home.lkk.com/kitchen/dragonboat2003.asp
This website will teach you how to make a vegetarian dumpling and how to wrap it.

The perfect dumpling should be firm yet soft to the tongue. The glutinuous rice is season with soya sauce and other seasoning. The contain is a generous portion of fatty pork, chestnut, dried prawn, salted egg yolk and mushroom. For those who do not eat pork or meat, always can use other ingredients as the contents, such as different type of bean, nuts or dates. Sometime, people just make an empty dumpling and be eaten with sugar.


Happy Dumpling Festival.... but do not eat too much dumpling, as glutinuous rice is not so good for digestion....