Guilin Meat Zongzi

Guilin Meat Zongzi is a classic savory option, with fresh meat as the core, paired with glutinous rice and auxiliary ingredients, boasting a rich aroma. The process involves cutting streaky pork with skin into large pieces, marinating in light soy sauce, cooking wine, and five-spice powder for 24 hours to fully flavor the meat. Soaked glutinous rice is mixed with soy sauce for color, then filled into bamboo leaves along with marinated pork, salted egg yolks, mushrooms, and dried shrimps, wrapped into a plump oblong shape, and boiled for 5-6 hours. The cooked zongzi has oil permeating every grain of rice, giving it an attractive sauce-red color; the streaky pork is tender but not dry, the salted egg yolks are runny and oily, and the fragrance of mushrooms and shrimps blends into the rice. One bite combines meaty, sauce, and rice aromas—savory and rich without greasiness. Guilin meat zongzi has a careful filling ratio, with just the right amount of meat and rice, avoiding blandness or excess oil. Street breakfast stalls often heat and cut meat zongzi, selling them on bamboo sticks, looking very tempting with steam rising. Foreigners will be impressed by the perfect integration of streaky pork and glutinous rice, especially loving the creamy texture of runny egg yolks, finding this savory zongzi like "meat-flavored rice wrapped in leaves," full of satisfaction.