Dishes
Peanut zongzi (vegetarian rice dumpling)
菜粽
Also called: tshài-tsàng · vegetarian zongzi · peanut rice dumpling
A plain leaf-wrapped dumpling of glutinous rice and peanuts, boiled soft and eaten with sauce and peanut powder.
What it is
Only glutinous rice and peanuts, wrapped in leaves. Long boiling softens the peanuts until they blend into the dense, sticky rice. It is finished with a light sauce and a sprinkle of peanut powder, and the taste is simple and mild.
Where it comes from
The Taiwanese name tshài-tsàng means vegetarian zongzi: 菜 here means meat-free, not vegetables. It is concentrated in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. One writer suggests it began as the meat-free batch families wrapped for vegetarian relatives at the Dragon Boat Festival, but notes there is no documentary evidence of where it started.
How it is made
Raw glutinous rice and peanuts are wrapped and boiled for a long time. Southern Taiwanese zongzi are boiled from raw rice, so the grains cling together moist and chewy; northern ones are made with stir-fried rice and steamed. Tainan shops often use shell ginger leaves (月桃葉).
How to eat it
Many people eat it for breakfast. Take a first bite plain to taste the leaf, then add the salty-sweet sauce and peanut powder. Some shops also offer coriander, garlic paste or chilli sauce. Caizong Li serves it with kelp miso soup.
In Kaohsiung
Caizong Li in Kaohsiung makes its dumplings from scratch daily with Changhua rice and Yunlin peanuts. Its Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022 brought the dish wider attention.
Where to eat it in Kaohsiung
Sources