Savory Zongzi

Taste: Savory; Cooking Method: Boiling; Time: One day; Difficulty: Advanced.

Detailed Steps for Cooking Savory Zongzi

Wash the fresh pork belly.

Cut into pieces about 1 cm thick and 2 cm wide.

Add some salt, 1/2 tablespoon of thirteen spices, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and a pinch of white pepper powder.

Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator (especially in hot weather). I marinated it for a day.

Dry bamboo leaves.

Cut off the ends with scissors.

Place in a large pot, bring to a boil, then continue to cook for two minutes and turn off the heat.

Take them out, soak in cold water, and wash them one by one with a dishcloth.

Peeled chestnuts.

Adzuki beans.

Peeled mung beans.

Rinse the clean bamboo leaves.

Wash the adzuki beans, soak in water for a day (pre-soak).

Wash the chestnuts, soak in clean water for a day (pre-soak).

Wash the glutinous rice, soak for about an hour, then drain the water.

Wash and drain the peeled mung beans.

Drain the soaked chestnuts.

Drain the soaked adzuki beans, add a little salt, mix well, and set aside.

Edible alkali bought from the supermarket (for better color).

Add a little less than 1/2 tablespoon of edible alkali, some salt, and 2 tablespoons of corn oil to the glutinous rice, mix well.

Add the peeled mung beans and mix well by hand. (If unsure about the saltiness, taste it and adjust the salt according to your preference.)

Take two leaves and stack them as shown.

Hold the ends of the leaves with both hands and roll them inward to form a funnel shape.

Scoop in a tablespoon of the mixed glutinous rice, press it down.

Add the marinated meat, adzuki beans, and chestnuts.

Then scoop in more glutinous rice to cover the filling. (Do not overfill.)

Flip the top leaves over, press the sides with your fingers.

Fold the longer part to the right.

Use a thin string to tie and secure the zongzi by wrapping it around the edges and tying a knot.

A neatly shaped triangular zongzi.

Wrap each zongzi individually.

In a large pot, bring half a pot of water to a boil, add the zongzi (make sure they are submerged), bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for four to five hours. (During this time, rotate the zongzi to ensure even cooking.)

The aroma of zongzi fills the house, and you can’t resist trying one even if it’s hot.