Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon! Apart from the holiday, the most anticipated thing is, of course, the various flavors of rice dumplings! Each brand of rice dumplings has its own characteristics, and the fillings are not lacking in surprising combinations. There are also options for those who prefer a green lifestyle. Take a look at the selected recommendations below!
//Click the box//
Innovative Chinese cuisine brand Dian He Zi has launched the “Dian He Zi Exotic Mixed Zongzi Gift Box” (HK$148), which includes “Thai-style Lemongrass Coconut Zongzi”, “Red Bean Salted Egg Yolk Alkaline Water Zongzi”, and “Traditional Salted Pork Zongzi”. The “Thai-style Lemongrass Coconut Zongzi” is made with a rich combination of ingredients including lemongrass, basil, dried shrimp, mung beans, pork belly, and coconut milk, bringing out an exotic flavor. The “Red Bean Salted Egg Yolk Alkaline Water Zongzi” combines sweet red beans with the fragrant salted egg yolk, while the “Traditional Salted Pork Zongzi” is made with selected pork belly and salted egg yolk, offering a traditional taste. In addition, the “Dian He Zi Steamed Fish Wrapped Zongzi” (HK$158) is also available in a gift box packaging, and it includes abalone, dried scallops, dried shrimp, roasted duck, pork, shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, salted egg yolk, mung beans, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice, providing a generous portion.
//Spicy Hotpot Chilli Fagara//
Experience the spiciness with this special Dragon Boat Festival rice dumpling! Chilli Fagara, a Sichuan restaurant, brings you the flavorful “Spicy Rice Dumpling” (HK$108) designed by Chef Chen, who hails from Chongqing and drew inspiration from his hometown. The traditional sticky rice is infused with abundant Sichuan spices, and paired with whole salted egg yolk, tasty Sichuan preserved meat, fresh pork, and mixed beans, creating a rich texture. The outer layer is wrapped in bamboo leaves, adding a hint of sweetness and green tea aroma to the sticky rice.
//Jiangsu Mingyue//
Jiangsu Mingyue, a refined Chinese restaurant, has launched its homemade Zongzi gift box. The two types of Zongzi include the classic “Handmade Jiangsu Salted Zongzi” (HK$98) made with premium Jinhua ham and salted egg yolk using a secret recipe, and the “Handmade Jiangnan Sweet Zongzi” (HK$98) made with top-quality red beans and black glutinous rice, offering a double-layered, soft and smooth texture. It is perfect for both gifting and personal enjoyment.
//Tang Palace Gathering//
“Tang Palace Gathering” brings four handmade and unique rice dumplings this year, including the “Salted Egg Yolk Mixed Nut Rice Dumpling” (HK$59), which combines OMNI luncheon meat with salted egg yolk, walnuts, cashews, quinoa, mung beans, glutinous rice, etc., creating a rich and low-calorie healthy taste. The popular original flavor “Sichuan Spicy Beef Brisket Rice Dumpling” (HK$69) is marinated with selected Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, white wine, and other ingredients, filled with selected beef ribs and beef tendon, and hand-wrapped with soaked and drained premium glutinous rice, mung beans, and chestnuts. It is filled with the fragrant and spicy taste of Sichuan.
//Peninsula Boutique//
The Peninsula Boutique’s “Three-Piece Rice Dumpling Gift Box” (HK$490) is a perfect combination of savory and sweet. It includes the “Savory Rice Dumpling” made from steamed whole Jinhua ham, and the “Chenpi Red Bean Alkaline Water Rice Dumpling” filled with homemade premium red bean paste, emitting the fragrance of chenpi. The rice dumplings from The Peninsula Boutique come with a uniquely designed insulated bag, making it a stylish gift.
//Eaton HK//
Eaton HK’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Yat Tung Hin, draws inspiration from sustainable concepts and uses premium ingredients to create two types of steamed rice dumpling gift bags. The packaging features traditional Chinese landscape paintings and is accompanied by hand-held bags designed with traditional knotting techniques, combining elegance and environmental friendliness. The “Supreme Abalone and Conpoy Steamed Rice Dumpling” (HK$298) is rich in ingredients, including whole abalone, translucent salted egg yolks, top-grade conpoy, roasted duck, and premium smooth mushrooms, resulting in a savory and fragrant taste. Additionally, there is also a vegetarian option, the “Eight Treasure OmniPork Steamed Rice Dumpling” (HK$268), made with plant-based OmniPork and a variety of ingredients such as mushrooms, red kidney beans, chestnuts, peanuts, and lotus seeds. It offers a refreshing taste with a combination of bean and chestnut flavors, providing a rich texture.
//The Langham, Hong Kong//
The Michelin two-star Chinese restaurant, Lung King Heen, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, has launched two new flavors of rice dumplings in a gift box (HK$468). This includes the “Green Bean Alkaline Water Osmanthus Rice Dumpling,” in which the green beans are soaked overnight and cooked for 6 hours to achieve a soft and smooth texture. It can be enjoyed with the accompanying osmanthus honey. The other new flavor, “Chicken and Mushroom Jade Palm Scallop Rice Dumpling,” replaces the traditional pork belly with Lung King Heen’s famous ginger-infused pig’s trotter, and the fragrant chicken and mushroom add a slight spiciness. The gift box also includes a box of 2019 vintage white tea. In addition, the popular “Abalone and Conpoy Organic Five-Grain Rice Dumpling” is also making a comeback. This dumpling is made with two South African abalones, roasted goose, pork, shiitake mushrooms, and salted egg yolk, paired with organic ten-grain rice. The gift box (HK$568) includes the “Abalone and Conpoy Organic Five-Grain Rice Dumpling” and a box of 2019 vintage white tea.
//JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Marriott Gold Hall//
The JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong introduces an elegant gift box of traditional Chinese rice dumplings, featuring the Golden Pavilion. The Golden Pavilion Abalone and Conpoy Steamed Rice Dumpling and the Golden Pavilion Japanese Red Bean and Salted Meat Rice Dumpling are included in the gift box, with one of each flavor. You can choose between a sophisticated gift box packaging (HK$588) or a simple insulated bag packaging (HK$528). The Golden Pavilion Abalone and Conpoy Steamed Rice Dumpling is filled with delicious ingredients, including South African dried abalone, top-grade Japanese conpoy, premium Japanese mushrooms, pork belly from Kanto, organic chicken leg meat from Korea, and whole lotus seeds from the Xiangjiang River in Hunan. It is complemented by a salted egg yolk and plump green beans. The Golden Pavilion Japanese Red Bean and Salted Meat Rice Dumpling features premium Japanese red beans paired with fragrant salted egg yolk, Kanto pork belly seasoned with Yiheyuan soy sauce, and dense glutinous rice. No alkaline water is added during the preparation process to showcase the natural flavors of the ingredients.
//The “Ru” Chinese restaurant at The Cordis Hotel//
The flagship Chinese restaurant “Ru” of the Rosedale Hotel Group offers more than 3 types of dumplings made with premium ingredients. The “Steamed Whole Abalone Dumpling” (HK$218) features carefully selected whole abalone, along with dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, salted egg yolk, and Jinhua ham, creating a delicious and flavorful dish. The “Steamed Five-Grain Rice Dumpling with Jinhua Ham and Dried Scallops” (HK$158) replaces traditional glutinous rice with fiber-rich five-grain rice, combined with savory Jinhua ham and dried scallops, resulting in a satisfying and rich texture. The “Lotus Seed Paste Alkaline Dumpling” (HK$128) is filled with sweet and smooth lotus seed paste, perfectly complemented by the chewy outer layer of glutinous rice, balancing the bitter alkaline aroma and creating a sweet yet not overwhelming taste.
//Guo Jin Xuan//
Michelin-recommended restaurant Guo Jin Xuan is offering the “Supreme Double Happiness” set menu (HK$668), which includes the “Whole Dried Abalone and Scallop Sticky Rice” and “Japanese Tokachi Red Bean and Chestnut Osmanthus Sticky Rice”. The “Whole Dried Abalone and Scallop Sticky Rice” is made with 50 South African dried abalones, whole Japanese scallops, Jinhua ham, and premium salted eggs, using traditional handcrafting techniques for a savory and fragrant taste. The “Japanese Tokachi Red Bean and Chestnut Osmanthus Sticky Rice” features a golden ratio of 7:3 of selected Japanese red beans and red bean paste, with a smooth texture, along with Japanese chestnuts and osmanthus, served with homemade rose sauce for a sweet and not overly rich flavor.
//Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel//
The boutique zongzi offered by the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel includes the “Precious Pearl Meat Wrapped Zongzi” (HK$598), made with pearl meat sourced from pure and unpolluted waters in Australia, along with ingredients such as fish maw, South American sea cucumber, and Japanese dried scallops; the “Precious Abalone and Dried Scallop Wrapped Zongzi” (HK$368) uses specially seasoned glutinous rice with a rich flavor, and also includes whole South African abalone and Japanese dried scallops. Additionally, there is the “Golden Lotus Seed Paste Alkaline Zongzi” (HK$158) with a sweet and smooth filling, and the vegetarian option “Eight Treasure Vegetarian Zongzi” (HK$188). Each zongzi comes with a stylish and unique handbag designed with a fashionable auspicious knot.
//Island Shangri-La Summer Palace//
The Island Shangri-La’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Summer Palace, brings a series of exquisite seasonal delicacies – the “Summer Palace Michelin-starred Imperial Fragrant Rice Dumpling Gift Box” (HK$958). Carefully selected premium ingredients such as fish maw, abalone, and dried scallops are paired with 88-month-old top-grade black pork ham, creating a clever fusion of Chinese and Western flavors. The gift box includes selected abalone sauce and Summer Palace X.O. sauce. Another option, the “Summer Palace 60-year-old Tangerine Peel Red Bean Dumpling” (HK$328), uses rare and precious 60-year-old tangerine peel with natural orange fragrance, paired with red beans. The red bean flavor is rich, yet light, with a fragrant and chewy texture.
//Kowloon Shangri-La Palace//
Located in Kowloon Shangri-La, the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Xiang Palace, brings the “Xiang Palace Asian Flavored Gift Box (6 pieces)” (HK$698) for this Dragon Boat Festival. It includes 6 types of Asian flavored rice dumplings with festive characteristics, including “Golden Chestnut Smoked Duck Rice Dumpling,” “Cordyceps Flower Spicy Sausage Rice Dumpling,” “Black Garlic Beef Mushroom Chicken Rice Dumpling,” “Purple Sweet Potato Osmanthus Rice Dumpling,” “Osmanthus Red Bean Rice Dumpling,” and “Round Meat Red Date Osmanthus Rice Dumpling.” There is also a new item, “Taipei Far Eastern Shangri-La Xiang Palace Classic Roast Duck Rice Dumpling” (HK$188), which features the authentic hanging-roasted duck with the reputation of being the most delicious roast duck in Taipei Xiang Palace. The tender duck meat is paired with fresh bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and more, wrapped in fragrant bamboo leaves, creating a rich aroma.
//Hong Kong Kerry Hotel Brown Sugar//
The Hong Kong Kerry Hotel Cantonese Restaurant’s Red Sugar offers the “Red Sugar Taste Gift Box (Set of 3)” (HK$328), which includes “Cordyceps Flower Spicy Sausage Zongzi”, “Black Garlic Mushroom Chicken Zongzi”, and “Osmanthus Red Bean Zongzi”, leaving a lingering fragrance on the palate; there is also the “Red Sugar Jinhua Ham Dried Scallop Wrapped Steamed Zongzi” (HK$288), rich in hometown flavors.
//IKEA//
IKEA Swedish Food Market has launched three special brand zongzi, among which the “Meatball Truffle Jamón Ibérico Whole Egg Yolk Zongzi” (HK$59) uses whole egg yolk and ingredients such as Jamón Ibérico, shiitake mushrooms, truffle, and IKEA Swedish meatballs. It has a soft and sticky texture with a prominent savory flavor. If you prefer vegetarian options, you can try the “Red Bean Paste Zongzi” (HK$46) and the “Vegetarian Meatball Monkey Head Mushroom Chestnut Zongzi” (HK$56). The former is made by mixing fragrant sticky rice with red bean paste, while the latter uses IKEA’s own developed plant-based vegetarian meatballs, with fragrant monkey head mushrooms and chestnuts added to the filling.
