Dining with Asian Food and Wine:   The Dragon Boat Festival

By

Ronald Jan, M. D.

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month usually falls in the first week of June on the Gregorian calendar (Yang Li). This is the day we celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in China to commemorate Qu Yuan who died in 278 BCE (Before the Common Era). This year the Dragon Boat Festival falls on Friday, June 3 on the Gregorian calendar. [Dragon Boat races. Image from Rove.me]

【Qu Yuan on a Dragon Boat. Image from Wikipedia】

【Qu Yuan by Chen Hong Shou. Image from Wikipedia Commons】

【Wu Zi Xu. Image from Wikipedia】

Although some scholars believe that the first martyr to be celebrated on this day may have been Wu Zi Xu who died 484 BCE from the kingdom of Wu who lived about two hundred years before Qu Yuan.

Still, other scholars believe that it actually all began as a Summer Festival before it ever became a celebration of a martyr.

Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese)

Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) was thrown into the river so that the fish or sea god would not eat the martyr. Whatever the source of the tradition, eating Zongzi is practiced all over China. What is Zongzi? It is glutinous rice usually with stuffing wrapped in bamboo leaves and then boiled/steamed.

【Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese)wrapped in green bamboo leaves. Image from ZhiJuePi】

【Zongzi wrapped in brown bamboo leaves. Image from Women’s Health】

 When it comes to pairing the Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) with wine, the particular stuffing in the glutinous rice will suggest the type of wine to serve…         

If Lop Cheung (Chinese sausage)..

【Lop Cheong Dried, Preserved Chinese Sausage. Image from Stuarte】

                                 Consider a Pinot Noir from Calera’s Ryan Vineyard where the chewiness of the Lop Cheong (Chinese sausage) will beg for a beverage and the fat will soften the small amount of tannin while the berry flavors add to the flavors of the Zongzi.

Pinot Noir (Calera Clone) from Calera’s Ryan Vineyard

【Pinot Noir from Calera’s Ryan Vineyard. Photo courtesy of Ron Jan, M.D.】

                 If salted duck egg yolk…

【Salted egg yolk. Image from https://homesteading.com】

【Traditional HoKKien Zongzi (Rice Dumpling with Salted Duck Egg Yolk, Pork & Shiitake Mushroom. Image from Asian Food Network】

Consider a dry white wine such as Chardonnay. If you want to add freshness to the egg yolk flavors, choose a Chablis (Chardonnay from the northern part of Burgundy) with greater acidity…

Chablis

【Chablis (Chardonnay from the northern part of Burgundy). Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D. 】

If you want to present other flavors to lessen the impact of the egg yolk you might choose a full-bodied Chardonnay from California such as…

Rombauer’s Chardonnay

【California Chardonnay。 Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D】

Or a Chardonnay from the southern part of Burgundy such as this Pouilly-Fuisse…

【Chardonnay from Pouilly-Fuisse in Maconnais in the southern part of Burgundy. Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D.】

If sweet red bean(doh sah ) …

【Zongzi with sweet red bean (doh sah zongzi). Image from Wikipedia 】

                        Consider a late harvest German Riesling such as a Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese. The sweetness of this wonderful wine will balance the sweetness of the sweet bean and the mild acidity will bring an element of freshness.

J.J. Prum’s Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese

【Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese， Photo Courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D.】 

Often the stuffing includes peanuts, chestnuts, and mushrooms to add additional flavors. Perhaps the best all-around wine to drink with Zongzi may be a sparkling wine—Champagne or Cremant from France, a Sekt from Germany, a Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, Methode Cap Classique from South Africa, or a Sparkling Wine from California, etc. such as…

Schramsberg’s Mirabelle Brut Rose

【Schramsberg’s Mirabelle Brut Rose Sparkling Wine. Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M. D.】

A combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Northern California Coastal Vineyards just right for the high acidity needed for many of the very best sparkling wines. Here, Schramsberg makes this blend and in the true traditional method of Champagne the secondary fermentation in the bottle yielding a sparkling wine with very small bubbles, wonderful acidity and aromas and flavors of strawberries and raspberries.

In Sacramento for those who wish to purchase Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese), Vinh Phat Market (featuring Chinese and Vietnamese foods) sells Vietnamese style Joong with Pork Shoulder and Mung Beans. Vinh Phat Market sells the Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) either large rectangular or the more familiar triangular shape as shown below.

【Vienamese rectangular- shaped Zhongzi (Joong in Cantonese). Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D.】

In her Vietnamese style Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese), Su Ying, co-owner of Vinh Phat Market states that the rice and the mung bean are combined with pork (which may be fried or broiled first), then wrapped in banana leaves (more readily available in the U.S. than large bamboo leaves) tied by string/ribbon, then steamed for 8 to 12 hours….ready to reheat and serve.

【Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) from Vinh Phat. Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan, M.D. 】

Yes, the Dragon Boat Festival is also celebrated in Vietnam [recall that the kingdom of Yue in China during the Warring States Period included Vietnam]. As you can see, the Vietnamese style Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) come in two sizes and shapes…a larger rectangular shape and a more traditional triangular shape both stuffed with Pork Shoulder and Mung Beans. Although Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) is often stuffed with many other ingredients such as peanuts, the commercial Joong may not contain peanuts in deference to the customer who may have a peanut allergy.

This Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) would go very well with this California Sparkling Wine

【Schramsberg Brut Rose Sparkling Wine from California. Photo courtesy of Ronald Jan， M.D. 】

The acid and lively spritz will add freshness to the Joong without overpowering its flavors and allow the flavors of the Zongzi (Joong in Cantonese) to show through while contributing subtle flavors of strawberries and raspberries.

And so, this year the Dragon Boat Festival’s Zongzi (Joong) can be celebrated with a bottle of Sparkling wine from Schramsberg! Try this combination for a wonderful new experience! Happy Dragon Boat Festival!!

About the author: Dr. Ronald G. Jan who specializes in Vascular Surgery is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine. As a hobby, he holds WSET level 3 certification in wines and has been writing and publishing wine commentaries attracting lots of readers.

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