Guilin Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Guilin Glutinous Rice Dumpling (Guozheng Zong) is a "giant" among zongzi, 2-3 times larger than ordinary ones, wrapped in indocalamus leaves with rich fillings, a "heavyweight" delicacy for festivals. To make it, large indocalamus leaves (wider and thicker than ordinary bamboo leaves) are used to wrap plenty of glutinous rice, whole salted egg yolks, large pieces of pork belly, chestnuts, peanuts, etc., wrapped layer by layer, tied into a solid oblong shape with straw rope, and boiled in a large pot for 6-8 hours. Indocalamus leaves have a natural fragrance, dyeing the rice light green after boiling; egg yolks are oily and runny, pork belly is stewed tender, oil permeates every grain of rice, chestnuts are sweet, peanuts are crispy—one bite combines saltiness, oiliness, and softness, with extremely rich texture. Guozheng Zong is mostly used for sacrifices or entertaining distinguished guests in Guilin; one can feed 2-3 people, showing Guilin people's hospitality. Foreigners will be surprised by its large size, even more so by the rich fillings when cut open, and impressed by the blended flavors, finding it like a "feast in a zongzi," allowing them to experience multiple Guilin flavors at once.