Every 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the Chinese calendar we celebrate Duan Wu Jieh or the Dragon Boat festival. We Chinese make rice dumplings for the festival.
Originally, legends abound. But this is my favourite legend. Qu Yuan was disillusioned by the corrupt practices of the government (Emperor). After making a lot of appeals for government reforms, he failed and no one listened to him. So the poet - politician committed suicide by jumping into a river.
Folks were very sympathetic and his followers were able to get people to make rice dumplings to offer to the Dragon King, so that all the beings in the rivers and oceans would not tear his body apart.
But then I don't know how the dragon boats started to compete against each other.
For years my mother enjoyed eating most the Alkaline zerng. And we all followed her in her taste.
The resulting zerng is bouncy and all the rice stick together. You cannot see the grain at all. It is best eaten with syrup or plain sugar.
Our ancestors were just so clever!!
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