Sheraton Saigon gears up for Dragon Boat Festival with sticky rice dumplings

Sheraton Saigon gears up for Dragon Boat Festival with gourmet Cantonese sticky rice dumplings

This year marks a notable launch with the newly renovated Li Bai’s culinary concept, bringing an ever-innovative packaging design inspired by the local folk stories alongside nostalgic flavours with contemporary enhancements.

Zong Zi, an honour of tradition, and taste of reunion

Holding significant cultural and historical importance in Asian countries, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, especially in China. Sticky rice dumplings, also known as zongzi or bak zhang, as well as dragon boat racing are traditions associated with the festival.

Handcrafted from glutinous rice and filled with various ingredients such as meats, beans, salted egg yolk, nuts and then wrapped in bamboo leaves before being cooked, dragon boat dumplings come with many variations in shape, from triangle, square to round.

In Vietnam, zongzi can be broadly categorised into Vietnamese style and Chinese style, with mainly Southern Chinese-style zongzi among Cantonese regions.

While Vietnamese sticky rice dumplings are known as banh u nuoc tro, with a sweeter taste and triangle appearance popular in Northen Vietnam, the Chinsese style in Saigon are filled in pyramid and pillow shape with savoury ingredients, including salted egg yolk, pork, shiitake mushrooms, mung beans, taro and chicken, leaving a rich and decadent filling.

In the past, bundles of dragon boat dumplings were thrown into the river as sacrificial offerings, nowadays, they are enjoyed among family, friends and colleagues, as a gift for this mid-year celebration hailing remembrance and unity. With the Dragon Boat Festival falling on June 10 this year, Cho Lon, Vietnam’s largest Chinatown and notable restaurants around Saigon have started the kitchen to prepare seasonal zongzi.

Chef Diep Nhieu, Sous Chef of Li Bai restaurants

Li Bai’s timeless flavours made in Saigon

Turning into the fifth year of our handcrafted zongzi production, Li Bai under Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel unveils a luxurious collection of four best-selling flavours showcasing exquisite ingredients and masterful artisanal techniques.

This year’s fillings include both classic and creative flavours; namely abalone and dried scallops, char siu pork and Iberico ham; chicken and foie gras; soy tempeh, wild mushroom, and truffle.

Reflecting Li Bai’s refreshing culinary concept of highlighting timeless favourites and modern flavours committing to meeting the evolving tastes of its discerning diners, the dragon boat dumplings are handcrafted with meticulous attention, encapsulating the essence of Cantonese cuisine yet creativity in premium ingredient combination.

The meticulous process of making our dragon boat dumpling begins with picking the finest ingredients from glutinous rice, chestnuts, shiitake, and lotus seed

The meticulous process of making our dragon boat dumpling begins with picking the finest ingredients from glutinous rice, chestnuts, shiitake, and lotus seed paired with savoury fillings and made-in Li Bai sauces and wrapping in bamboo leaves before being slow-cooked for eight hours.

Chef Diep Nhieu, Sous Chef of Li Bai restaurants said, “The most popular shape of dragon boat dumpling is the pyramid. At Li Bai, we develop the pentagon shape representing the auspicious yet balanced ying-yang based on the five agents in Chinese philosophy including Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth. Our fillings are local-sourced and premium imported ingredients. Most importantly, each dumpling pays homage to Li Bai’s traditional hallmark techniques by artisan chefs for such an authentic taste.”

Enhancing the festivities, Li Bai launches a brand-new design with bespoke packaging. Coming with two straps with ease and style, it features comic illustrations of dragon boat races, reminiscent of traditional tapestries, and is accented with a green tassel embodying a luxurious folk story to the presentation. This package is set as thoughtful gifts for families and friends. For every purchase of two dragon boat dumplings, the box is complimentary.

The dragon boat dumplings are recommended and best enjoyed with Li Bai’s staple sauce, XO Sauce, freshly made in-house with a gourmet blend of dried scallops, shallots, garlic, chilli, dried shrimp, shrimp roe and more. Li Bai’s artisanal condiment adds a rich punch to the sweet nod of the occasion that makes it difficult to stop at one bite.

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