zongzi

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See also: zòngzi

English

WOTD – 18 June 2018
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Alternative forms

Etymology

Taiwanese zongzi on sale in Yokohama Chinatown, Yokohama, Japan, which is the largest Chinatown in Asia
Zongzi which have been cut open to reveal their fillings. The one in front is filled with pork, and the one in the background with red bean (azuki bean) paste.

Borrowed from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 粽子 (zòngzi), from 粽 (zòng, “dumpling of glutinous rice wrapped in leaves”) + 子 (zi, diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

Noun

zongzi (plural zongzi or zongzis)

  1. A traditional Chinese dumpling of glutinous rice stuffed with a savoury or sweet filling, wrapped in large flat leaves, and cooked by steaming or boiling.
    • 1953, Department for International Work, All-China Democratic Women's Federation, editor, Women of China, Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, →OCLC, page 17, column 2:
      The traditional fare around Dragon Boat Festival time is zongzi, pyramids of glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves. The zongzi, it is said, symbolize the rice that the Miluo River people threw to the fish so that they would leave Qu Yuan's body undisturbed.
    • 1979, China Reconstructs, Beijing: China Welfare Institute, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 49:
      The people honor the memory of Qu Yuan on this day by eating Zongzi and holding dragon-boat races. Zongzi are little packets of glutinous rice with jujubes, ham and sweet bean paste added for interest, wrapped in leaves of rushes.
    • 2005, Lim Hin Fui, Fong Tian Yong, The New Villages in Malaysia: The Journey Ahead, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Institute of Strategic Analysis & Policy Research, →ISBN, page 126:
      A week or two before the festival, villagers would prepare glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves before cooking, commonly known as zongzi or chang (in Hokkien).
    • 2011, Daniel Kalla, The Far Side of the Sky: A Novel of Love and Death in Shanghai, Toronto, Ont.: HarperCollins, →ISBN; paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Forge/A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2015, →ISBN:
      Sunny ordered four zongzis or dumplings and, out of tradition, haggled with the woman until they agreed on a price.

Translations

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