Unconventional Ways to Eat Zongzi to Beat the Heat and Greasiness
Drink Hot Black Tea to Cut the Greasiness
Zongzi is often greasy, and eating too much can be heavy. Moreover, glutinous rice is not easily digestible, so consuming a lot of zongzi can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Hot black tea, however, has the effect of cutting through grease. Drinking some hot black tea while eating zongzi can be very effective in relieving the greasy feeling and aiding digestion. In fact, black tea is a perfect companion for zongzi. There's no need for a specific type of black tea, but it must be hot to effectively combat the greasiness.
At the same time, avoid cold drinks when eating zongzi. Cold beverages can cause the glutinous rice to solidify, making it even harder to digest and leading to a feeling of bloating and distension. Guanxiang Tea Aids Digestion
Besides regular black tea, a type of tea native to Dongguan is also a great choice to enjoy with zongzi, as it can aid digestion and help beat the summer heat. This Guanxiang tea is more like a traditional Chinese medicine and was recommended by Liu Shijian, a senior TCM physician from Dongguan.
This Guanxiang tea comes from a wild shrub, over a meter tall, found on the Dalingshan mountains. The leaves are picked, sun-dried, and then processed into tea. It has effects such as relieving summer heat, clearing heat and toxins, aiding digestion, lowering blood lipids, and reducing internal heat. Pairing it with zongzi helps with digestion.
When brewed, the tea turns a light yellow. Bringing it close, you can smell a sweet and slightly sour aroma, reminiscent of hawthorn, which is refreshing. The taste is light, which perfectly balances the flavor of the zongzi. Li Ping from Garden Porridge City explains that people have been drinking this tea for a very long time. It grows wild all over the Dalingshan mountains. Many people used to cut it down for firewood, while others would brew it into tea to help with summer heat and digestion during the hot season.
Eat Zongzi with Condensed Milk
The plain zongzi has a light, neutral flavor, and many people enjoy dipping it in honey. However, pairing it with condensed milk is even better. Cutting the zongzi into pieces and dipping them in condensed milk not only reduces the greasiness but also adds flavor to the otherwise plain zongzi.
You must use plain zongzi for this method. If you use a savory zongzi, the combination of sweet and salty can become overwhelming. Furthermore, this way of eating zongzi can evoke Western-style dishes, and this fusion of Eastern and Western styles is quite enjoyable.
Fried Zongzi Cubes with Egg Skin
The outside is a thin layer of egg skin, while the inside is diced zongzi. When you bite into it, the outside is crispy and the inside is soft, with a rich zongzi flavor. This zongzi is more like a dessert or a proper dish.
Did you know you can actually make zongzi into a dish to share? Everyone can have a piece, and you can enjoy the delicious taste without feeling too greasy. This method is very simple: just cut the zongzi into cubes, fry an egg wrapper in a pan, place the zongzi cubes inside, fold it over, and fry until golden. This creates a crispy exterior and a soft interior. The aroma of such a zongzi can be smelled from a distance.