Nanmen shop owners compete over most creative zongzi

Nanmen shop owners compete over most creative zongzi

2024-05-15

Dragon Boat Festival is almost here, and Nanmen Market, Taipei’s most famous spot for classic sticky rice dumplings, is once again holding its zongzi competition! This year, stores are competing to see who has the most interesting version of this seasonal specialty. One wraps ham, lotus seeds and taro together, while another includes Cantonese-style sausage, and another opts for high-quality pork and sausage.

Tasters take a bite of this southern-style dumpling, filling their mouths with the aromas of honey-glazed ham.

Taster
I think it’s quite good, its stickier than others. I don’t really eat taro, but I think even people who don’t like taro will like this.

The shop brings out cured egg yolk and glazed ham zongzi.

When you open it, you can see the ham and taro right away. With the Dragon Boat Festival coming up, shops at Nanmen Market compete to see who can come up with the most creative zongzi.

The chef pours in the rice, picks up leaves and begins skillfully wrapping. In addition to the traditional Huzhou meat zongzi, they also made original ones with pork belly and pickled cabbage, pork and scallops, and duck, mushroom and egg yolk.

Ms. Chung
Zongzi proprietor
I found that our pork and scallop zongzi sells really well and makes a good gift. The pickled cabbage and pork belly flavors really seep into the rice, making the whole dumpling really flavorful.

Jen Tai-hsing
Zongzi proprietor
There’s traditional ham zongzi, but this time we made it honey-glazed. Lots of kids like this kind of ham because it’s sweet.

Nanmen Market is holdings its first zongzi festival after moving back to its original location following renovations, offering many deals to entice customers and donating 1,200 zongzi to families in need.

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