nucmednet Chapter 129 Salty and Sweet Zongzi
Chapter 129 Salty and Sweet Zongzi
"Sister, I want to make the biggest rice dumpling!" Cheng Jingzhu rolled up his sleeves, looking excited, picked up a piece of rice dumpling leaf and put the glutinous rice in it, but before he could wrap it a few times, the rice dumpling leaf fell apart and the glutinous rice was scattered all over the table.
Cheng Yueli laughed so hard that she fell over: "Brother, you are not making rice dumplings, you are just scattering rice for fun." Cheng Jingzhu was not convinced, but the more anxious he became, the more flustered he became, and no matter how he tried to wrap it, it wouldn't work.
Cheng Yuntao smiled and walked over to help: "Let me teach you, look, first roll the leaves into a funnel shape, then put the glutinous rice and fillings in, press them firmly, and finally wrap the leaves and tie them tightly with a rope. That's it."
The two children gathered together and fiddled with it for a long time, becoming more and more frustrated. Finally, they had no choice but to stuff the uneven dumplings into Cheng Yuntao's hands and said, "Sister, I'll let you do this. We... aren't very good at it."
Cheng Yuntao looked at their frustrated and slightly aggrieved faces, gently touched Cheng Jingzhu's head, pinched Cheng Yueli's cheek, and said softly, "You two have just started learning, it's great that you can wrap it like this."
She picked up an oddly shaped zongzi, looked it over, her eyes full of smiles. "This zongzi has a unique personality. Maybe it will taste even better when cooked."
After her joke, the two children's spirits were obviously lifted. Cheng Jingzhu scratched his head and chuckled, "Sister, is that true? But why do I think it looks like a monster?" Cheng Yueli also echoed, "That's right, the one I made doesn't look good either. It can't even stand up."
Cheng Yuntao put the rice dumplings on the table with a smile and patted their shoulders: "Okay, go play in the yard for a while, I'll take care of this."
The two children cheered as if they had been granted amnesty, and ran to the yard skipping and jumping. Cheng Yuntao immediately stood up, tied on an apron, and began to prepare the stuffing.
Salty and sweet rice dumplings each have their own flavor. Today Cheng Yuntao plans to make red bean paste rice dumplings, salted egg yolk rice dumplings, fresh meat rice dumplings, and alkaline water rice dumplings without any fillings.
Wash the carefully selected red beans, place them in a pot, add plenty of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat. As time passes, the red beans in the pot gradually become soft and sticky, and the soup thickens. Cheng Yuntao occasionally stirs gently with a spoon to ensure even heating.
Once the red beans are cooked to a soft consistency that can be easily crushed, remove them, drain, and pound vigorously with a wooden spoon. Soon, the red beans have transformed into a smooth and delicate red bean paste. To enrich the paste's flavor, add appropriate amounts of honey and lard and continue stirring. The richness of the lard and the sweetness of the honey blend perfectly, giving the red bean paste a dense texture and an alluring sweet aroma. A single bite reveals a rich bean aroma that spreads across the tongue, with just the right amount of sweetness, never feeling cloying.
Next, pick up a few plump, round salted duck eggs, gently crack the shells, and slowly pour out the egg whites, leaving only the translucent orange-red salted egg yolks. Then, soak the salted egg yolks in white wine for a while. The wine's rich aroma quickly permeates the egg yolks, removing the fishy smell and adding a unique flavor. After soaking, briefly toast the egg yolks in the oven to release a slight oil and firm the surface.
At this point, the salted egg yolk exudes a rich, salty aroma that's mouth-watering just by the smell. Wrapped in a cooked rice dumpling, the first thing you notice is the soft, chewy texture of the glutinous rice. Then, the rich, salty aroma of the salted egg yolk explodes in your mouth, complementing the crunchy texture of the glutinous rice. The saltiness is just right, leaving you with a lasting aftertaste.
Cheng Yuntao deftly picks up a piece of pork belly, a mixture of fat and lean, and cuts it into evenly sized cubes. Each piece has distinct textures, alternating red and white, and looks incredibly tempting. Next, she places the cuts into a bowl and adds light and dark soy sauce, cooking wine, minced ginger and garlic, salt, sugar, and other seasonings, mixing them repeatedly with her hands to ensure each piece of meat fully absorbs the flavors.
As the meat marinates, it gradually turns a bright red, exuding a rich aroma. Cheng Yuntao occasionally stirs the meat to infuse it with flavor. When the steaming hot fresh meat dumplings emerge from the pot, one bite is filled with the tender, juicy meat wrapped in the soft, sticky rice. The aroma of the meat permeates the air, and the salty and sweet flavors are just the right balance, leaving every bite incredibly satisfying.
Alkaline rice dumplings have a unique flavor, devoid of overly embellished fillings. Their aroma is simply the glutinous rice itself, combined with the unique flavor of the alkali water. Once cooked, they have a firm, chewy texture. Dipping them in a little sugar creates a delicious blend of the glutinous rice's fragrance and the sugar's sweetness, creating a simple yet blissful experience.
Cheng Yuntao placed the wrapped dumplings one by one into the steamer, added enough water, and covered the pot. Soon, the kitchen was filled with steam and the fragrance of the dumplings. She checked the fire from time to time to ensure that the heat was just right, so that each dumpling would be evenly heated and cooked thoroughly.
The waiting time was always long but full of anticipation. Cheng Yueli and Cheng Jingzhu would always run back to the kitchen between playing in the yard, staring eagerly at the steamer, and kept asking, "Sister, when will the rice dumplings be ready?" Cheng Yuntao always smiled and comforted them, "It will be soon, just be patient. You can't eat hot rice dumplings if you are impatient."
Only when the rich, lingering aroma of zongzi wafted from the kitchen, indicating that the dumplings were cooked, did Cheng Yuntao turn off the fire and carefully lift the lid of the pot.
Instantly, hot steam, wrapped in a fragrant aroma, filled the room with an intoxicating aroma. She gently plucked a zongzi with her chopsticks, placed it on a plate, and untied the string. The leaves slowly unfolded, revealing the plump, firm glutinous rice and its alluring fillings. The red bean paste zongzi had a mellow color, the salted egg yolk zongzi was golden and oily, the fresh meat zongzi exuded a savory aroma, and the alkaline zongzi exuded a simple rice fragrance.
Cheng Yuntao first picked up a red bean paste rice dumpling, cut it into small pieces, and handed it to her grandmother, saying with a smile: "Grandma, try this red bean paste rice dumpling. It's soft, sticky, and sweet. You will definitely like it." Zhou Xiufang took it, put it in her mouth and chewed it slowly. The wrinkles on her face relaxed and she nodded repeatedly: "Mm, it's delicious. Yuntao's cooking skills are really getting better and better."
Cheng Yueli noticed the alkaline rice dumpling in the corner and asked curiously, "Sister, what's the filling in this rice dumpling?" Cheng Yuntao smiled and explained, "This is an alkaline rice dumpling. Although it has no filling, it tastes very fragrant. Try it."
Cheng Yueli reached out and picked up an alkaline rice dumpling, dipped it in some sugar, and took a bite. The aroma of rice mixed with the sweetness of sugar spread in her mouth. Her eyes lit up: "Wow, this is delicious too!"