Southwest Coast National Scenic Area

It was by coincidence that Li Hui-ching began selling meat zongzi (triangular dumplings with rice, meat, and other tasty things, cooked in leaves). Her children liked eating meat zongzi, so she often made them. The zongzi were so good that her neighbors said she should sell them. At first, she sold them out of her home, but later started selling them at Kouhu Market.

Jinhu Meat Zongzi are wrapped in bamboo leaves. She uses long glutinous rice; for fillings, she adds dried shrimp, pickles, mushrooms, potatoes, salted duck egg yolks, and pork. The process goes like this: Cut the pork belly into pieces; deep-fry the pork and add oyster sauce, rice wine, and special seasoning (just seasoning, no flavoring); simmer for 1 hour; set aside. Wash the dried shrimp and deep-fry them for later use; boil the shiitake mushrooms and potatoes in special soy sauce marinade for later use; stir-fry the glutinous rice with the marinade; add pickles, potatoes, and dried shrimp; mix well for later use. Mix the pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, salted duck egg yolks, and glutinous rice; wrap them in bamboo leaves; cook in a wok.

Li Hui-ching says, “You have to treat old and new glutinous rice differently. Don’t soak the new glutinous rice for as long, and cook it for less time, about half an hour to 55 minutes. With the old glutinous rice, you have to soak it longer, and cook it longer, about 1 hour to 65 minutes. This is purely from experience.”

Haikou Meat Zongzi are characterized by the use of salted vegetables; the most prominent feature of Jinhu Meat Zongzi is pork. Jinhu Meat Zongzi only sells meat zongzi, not vegetable dumplings. Because many customers pick up their orders from Li’s home, she doesn’t always sell at the market. If you want to taste the special flavor of Jinhu Meat Zongzi, call ahead so you can make sure you don’t go home empty-handed.