Zongzi

A Chinese student friend went to visit his hometown over the weekend, and on his return yesterday he called me to tell me he had something for me. I went over to his dormitory last night, where he handed me a plastic bag containing three packages made of some kind of leaf. He told me they where zongzi's, made in his hometown. A zongzi is a fist-sized bundle of sticky rice with some hearty filling, wrapped up in leaves and neatly tied up with stringy plant parts, and then steamed or boiled prior to unpacking and eating. I have actually seen them being sold at street sides all over China, and I believe similar foodies exist in other parts of Asia, and possibly also in Latin-America.
The leaves make a perfect waterproof wrapping material, and the usually pre-cooked filling can be kept for several days without refrigeration, or frozen for long-term storage.
Sadly, this type of eco-friendly packaging is disappearing rapidly in China, being replaced by styrofoam containers and plastic bags. Almost anything edible can be taken out in a (usually semi-transparent red) plastic bag. Even hot liquids like soup and noodle dishes are routinely distributed in this ubiquitous container. You often see people driving motorbikes holding a plastic bag of hot noodle soup at one of the handles.
I cooked the zongzi in a pan of boiling water, and carefully opened the steaming package to try it. It was delicious, with a filling of meat and peanuts. The steamed leaves adding flavour, and thanks to the stickyness, quite easy to handle with a pair of chopsticks.