This article was published o 13th June 2021 in Sunday Post, Sarawak.
There are many kinds of rice dumplings, or ‘Zhongzi’, made by Chinese all over the world in celebrating the ‘Dragon Boat Festival’.
THE fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is marked as the ‘Dragon Boat Festival’, which is tomorrow (June 14).
According to legends, the festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan (339-278 BC), the poet-scholar from the ‘Warring States Period’, who threw himself into the river in protest against the rampant corruption in court.
The people honoured his convictions by making bundles of rice and sacrificing them to the river gods.
A Chinese teacher, when interviewed, chuckled: “There are not many politicians today who would commit suicide as a protest against rampant corruption in the government, mind you!
“But when we studied our classics at the university, we learned that ancient poets, scholars and even politicians would rather die than be involved in court controversies.
“There too many examples in Chinese history, but Qu Yuan could be said to be the best, because he is remembered all over the world by the Chinese. Every time I see a Chinese ‘Zhongzi’, I’d think of him and the correct state of affairs that we must seek in government.”
It is a popular belief that rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves were first made and thrown into the river where Qu Yuan had jumped into. They believed that by offering rice dumplings to the dragon, Qu Yua’s body would not be devoured.
There are many kinds of rice dumplings, or ‘Zhongzi’, made by Chinese all over the world in celebrating this festival.
In Malaysia, the Chinese community has developed their own kind of signature dumplings, like the ‘Nyonya Dumplings’. Muslim Chinese have also started to make ‘kaya’ (coconut milk-and-egg curd), coconut and curry dumplings!
In fact, glutinous rice can be cooked in bamboo tubes (called ‘pansuh’ in Sarawak). Research has been made indeed that the Chinese in the sixth century (Sui to Early Tang Dynasty), had made a dumpling called ‘tubular zong’ (Chinese: 筒糉/筒粽; pinyin: tongzong), which could also be eaten during the Summer Solstice.
Do you know that there are some do’s and don’ts when you give your dumplings to your friends or relatives?
The Minqing group of Fuzhous in the past would only make dumplings if there was no death in the family.
Madam Alice Ha remarked: “A friend’s mother passed away last year, and her brother and unmarried sisters were not allowed to make dumplings. Close relatives remember their late mother by bringing a whole bunch of dumplings tied together (one ‘chong’, or one ‘dai’).
“This is to respect the dearly departed and to bring comfort to the grieving family.”
“A married daughter is allowed to make the dumplings and bring them to her sisters and brothers. The recipients do not have to reciprocate the gift. They just have to enjoy eating the dumplings.”
Sonia Lim (not her real name), a Hakka from Peninsular Malaysia, said: “As the eldest daughter of the family, my grandmother and mother have trained me to wrap rice dumplings to prepare for the annual worship of our ancestors on ‘5.5’ (fifth day of fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar). We would make a lot of ‘zhongzi’ the day before, most of the dumplings would be counted so that every member and even neighbours would have at least one.
“Because we’re not wealthy, we made just enough for the ‘BYE BYE’, and for distribution among ourselves. I did not know much about other dialectic groups’ practices until I married a Foochow myself. We, the Hakkas, would give away rice dumplings one by one, not in a bundle.
“Maybe the very rich folk would practise that.
“Today, we Hakkas still give away ‘zhongzi’, one by one to our friends and relatives when we make a lot. The most important part of making ‘zhongzi’ is thus to make enough for the altars, for the deities and the dearly departed.”
Former school headmistress Elizabeth Chan shared a funny tale.
“We are Cantonese, and my kind and generous grandmother gave away a lot of our dumplings on ‘5.5’. We gave to everyone during my childhood. One day, our Foochow neighbours came over and told my mother that they were very offended. We should not have given them dumplings during this occasion. No explanation was given. My grandmother was dumbfounded when the ‘zhongzi’ were returned.
“Many years later when I moved to Sarikei, I was told that the meaning of giving dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival. The Foochows would wrap dumplings to give to their relatives who were in mourning. The giving of dumplings sounded like ‘Sung Jong, funeral proceedings’.
“I was told that the Foochows would tie dumplings in tens – they’re called ‘One Dai’ in Foochow.
“Perhaps the ties represent the idea of unity in the family. As close relatives, the givers of the ‘zhongzi’ show that they are united in the mourning with the immediate family members.
“Thus, the giving and receiving of ‘zhongzi’ for this sad occasion has become a unifying act.”
Another Foochow friend, Priscilla, recounted her story: “I remember when I was very young, my mother and I were living in a village and we went to our aunt’s house with some glutinous rice before the festival. My uncle had just passed away. We did not wrap dumplings that year for some reasons. My mother and her sister-in-law cried and mentioned how sad it was to lose the man of the family. After some wailing, we left.
It was later when I realised that the giving of the rice to my aunt was symbolic. My mother was showing sympathy. The rice was to be cooked in other ways but not to be made into dumplings.”
Today, people do not make dumplings from scratch at home, despite the homemade ones being regarded as the best.
In Malaysia, there are stalls everywhere selling rice dumplings almost every day, so such item seems to have lost its ritualistic status as an annual offering, so to speak.
A rich uncle may buy a bag full of dumplings for his friends and relatives at home and in the office, and no one would be offended?
Give me a dumpling, and I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner — any time of the year. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment