端午节

Xiao Yue, since when does your dessert shop sell zongzi? With this whole table of them, I thought I'd walked into the wrong place!

Haha, because the Dragon Boat Festival is almost here! Zongzi sell the best these days — even my cakes have to take a back seat.

No wonder! When I went to work today, my company handed out a big gift box, and when I opened it — more zongzi inside.

Oh? Your school gives out Dragon Boat gift boxes too? What's in it?

There's zongzi, salted duck eggs, mung bean cake, and a little cloth pouch that smells nice — I have no idea what that one is.

Haha, that little pouch is called a xiangnang, a scented sachet. Today let's have a good chat about the Dragon Boat Festival, and I'll explain all of these to you along the way.

That's great. Honestly, I never celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival back in Britain, so all of this is brand new to me.

No worries, take it slow — we'll go through them one by one.

Then I'd better learn it well, so I can show off to my grandma afterwards.

Haha, then let's get started right now.

Xiao Yue, the most basic question first: what day exactly is the Dragon Boat Festival? I checked this week's calendar and it doesn't seem to be marked.

Because the Dragon Boat Festival follows the lunar calendar — the fifth day of the fifth lunar month — so the date on the regular calendar is different every year.

The lunar calendar? That's the one based on the moon, right?

Yes, exactly right. A lot of traditional Chinese festivals follow the lunar calendar — like Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival.

I see. So what do the two characters "Duan-wu" actually mean? They sound really old.

You know, there's actually something to it. "Wu" refers to the fifth month, and "Duan" means the beginning.

So "Duan-wu" means those first few days at the start of the fifth month?

You could understand it that way. Fifth day, fifth month — two fives — so some people used to call it the "Double Fifth Festival."

Two fives — that I'll remember instantly. So is the Dragon Boat Festival considered a big holiday in China?

Yes. Along with Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn, it's one of the most important traditional festivals in China.

Wow, so it really is a big deal. No wonder my company gave us time off — I was wondering why I suddenly had three extra days.

Right, the Dragon Boat Festival comes with a three-day mini-holiday. A lot of people go back to their hometown, or head out to travel a bit.

So with those three days off, where do people usually go?

A lot of people go home to be with their parents, and the whole family wraps zongzi together.

You can wrap them yourself? I thought zongzi were all store-bought.

Many families still like to wrap their own. The older folks at home do it fast and make them look beautiful.

Homemade ones must taste extra special.

Right, that's a flavor you can't buy. Want to give it a try this year?

Yes! You can teach me, and even if I mess it up, it'll count as my Dragon Boat masterpiece.

Haha, sure — however they turn out, I'll take them.

Three days off, plus a bag of zongzi, plus wrapping my own — I'm already in love with this festival.

Haha, you haven't even tasted one yet and you're already hooked.

Xiao Yue, I've always wondered: why do you have to eat zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival? Where did zongzi even come from?

That brings us to a very famous figure from ancient times — a man named Qu Yuan.

Qu Yuan? Is that a person's name?

Yes, he was a poet from over two thousand years ago, and also a very patriotic official.

Over two thousand years ago? That's older than a lot of British stories. What happened then?

Later his country was defeated by another state. He was so heartbroken that he jumped into the river and died.

Ah, what a sad story... So what does that have to do with zongzi?

The common people loved him dearly. Afraid the fish in the river would nibble at his body, they wrapped up balls of rice and threw them into the river to feed the fish.

Oh! So once the fish were full of rice balls, they wouldn't go after Qu Yuan?

Right, you catch on fast. Those rice balls gradually turned into the zongzi we have today.

So there's such a story behind one little zongzi — that's so touching.

That's why when Chinese people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, it's not just about eating — it's also about remembering Qu Yuan.

I get it — just like some of our holidays are about remembering an important person too.

Exactly, it's the same idea.

Then from now on, eating zongzi will feel different to me.

Right? Once you know the story, it tastes even better.

Oh, what about the dragon boat races? I've seen them online — lots of people packed onto one long boat, paddling together.

Dragon boat racing is connected to Qu Yuan too. Back then people paddled out to save him, and over time it turned into a race.

So when people paddle today, they're reenacting the ones who tried to save Qu Yuan?

Right. There are many people in one boat, all paddling, and someone at the front beating a drum.

What's the drum for?

To get everyone pulling together. The faster the drumbeat, the more in sync and faster they paddle.

Sounds like the atmosphere must be really lively.

Super lively. Both banks of the river are packed with people, all cheering them on.

I love that — it's a bit like watching rowing races in Britain, where crowds line the bank and shout too.

Yeah, very similar! Actually, people all over the world are pretty much the same when they're having fun.

Haha, well said. I'd love to see a dragon boat race in person sometime.

Lots of cities in the south have them, Hangzhou included. I'll take you when the time comes.

It's a deal! I'll bring the camera, you bring the snacks.

Deal!

Xiao Yue, what I most want to figure out right now is still the zongzi. The one in my gift box — how do I actually eat it?

First, look at the outside. That green layer is the zongzi leaf — you don't eat it, it's just for wrapping the rice.

Ah, good thing you told me — I almost bit into it, leaf and all.

Haha, a lot of foreign friends do that the first time. Peel off the leaf, and the white stuff inside is the glutinous rice.

Glutinous rice? That's the sticky kind of rice?

Right. Once it's cooked, glutinous rice gets really sticky, so zongzi are soft and chewy.

Is there anything inside besides the rice?

Now that brings up a big issue. In China, zongzi come in sweet and savory kinds.

There's a sweet-versus-savory split? What's the difference?

Sweet zongzi usually have red dates or sweet bean paste; savory ones have fresh pork or salted egg yolk.

Wait — meat? You can put meat inside a zongzi?

Of course. People in the south love pork zongzi the most — one bite and it's so savory and satisfying.

That's totally different from what I expected — I always thought zongzi were all sweet.

Haha, well you've stumbled onto an age-old debate. Chinese people can argue all year long over whether to eat sweet or savory zongzi.

Seriously? Arguing over zongzi?

It's all in good fun, of course. We even have a name for it — the "sweet-versus-savory war." Northerners mostly like sweet, southerners mostly like savory.

The "sweet-versus-savory war" — what a fun phrase. So what about you? Which side are you on?

I may be from Hangzhou, but I'm team sweet — red-date-and-bean-paste zongzi are the GOAT.

Haha, "the GOAT" — I've seen that phrase in the bullet comments!

Yeah, you're getting better and better at how young people talk. So what about you — which side do you pick?

I haven't tried either one yet, so I won't speak too soon. Once I've tasted both, I'll give you my official answer.

Smart answer — you don't offend either side, haha.

I don't want to get run out of Hangzhou by your team-sweet crowd right after I arrived.

Haha, relax — team sweet is very friendly, as long as you don't say to our faces that sweet zongzi taste bad.

Got it, that's the bottom line — I'll remember.

Oh, let me teach you another fun one. Every year before the college entrance exam, many moms make their kids eat zongzi.

Eating zongzi before the big exam? Is there a special meaning to that?

Because the "zong" in zongzi sounds like the "zhong" in "hit the mark." Eating zongzi expresses the hope that the child will pass and ace the exam.

"Gao-zhong"? Not the "high school" gaozhong, right?

Haha, no. This "gao-zhong" is an old expression meaning you did extremely well on the exam and made the honor roll.

That's brilliant! A single zongzi can bring good luck too.

Right. Chinese people love this kind of homophone — it sounds auspicious, and it just makes you happy.

I get it — kind of like how some of us wear a pair of lucky socks before an exam.

Haha, exactly. Every place has its own little superstitions, but they're all just for peace of mind.

Then next time before I test my students, I'll hand each of them a zongzi too.

Haha, you, as a teacher, are getting more and more Chinese.

Oh, the salted duck egg in my gift box — is that a Dragon Boat Festival food too?

Yes, salted duck eggs are a Dragon Boat classic too — especially the kind with a yolk that oozes oil. So tasty.

Oozes oil? The yolk can ooze oil?

A good salted duck egg has a reddish yolk that releases oil the moment you bite it. With a bowl of plain rice porridge, it's just perfect.

The way you describe it makes me want to go home and try it right now. And the mung bean cake?