Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Fifth Day of the Lunar Month - 'Choong Chi'

On the fifth day the lunar month, the chinese celebrates the Rice Dumpling Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival in honour of a patriotic poet, Qu Yuan who drowned himself in Miluo River as a protest against the Emperor. For this, rice dumpling is a must-have specialty every year.

This year 19th June 2007 will be a season fills with the fragrance of appetizing rice dumpling. Rice dumpling come with an assortment of fillings layered in glutinous rice, wrapped with bamboo leaves and are boiled for hours. Many of us especially all the mums and grandmums have from early days been busy scouting for all basic ingredients necessary for the preparation of rice dumpling such as selection of glutinous rice, dumpling leaves and any other ingredients of our choice to welcome the arrival of this traditional chinese festival.

The rice dumpling not only comes in various shapes but in different variety of taste too. It can be categorized into sweet and savory two groups. The creation of nyonya and malay rice dumpling with a blend of local culture, add on further to the diversity of this chinese cuisine.

As for me this year due to heavy, hectic and busy working hours and not able to 'balik kampong' to celebrate "Tai Yat Chee" over the weekend with my two wonderful ladies(my mum and my aunt), I decided to celebrate this tradition by buying some rice dumplings

Where would be the best place to get this authentic rice dumpling? I guessed it must be The Tasty Rice Dumpling at Bandar Sungai Long, KL. The owner Elaine started this shop 5 years ago and now her son also helps her to run the business. There are many varieties of rice dumpling available from this shop such as five spice, egg yolk, green bean, chilli shrimp, vegeterian, eye bean, red bean, nyonya and kee chang.


I had tasted the five spice fried rice dumpling which was great, lovely, fragrant and mystified really. I love it. You can smell the fragrnt of the five spice, lovely salted egg yolk, the meat and not to overpowering of glutinous rice.

I also had a bit of rice dumpling which is white in colour. But as from young I alway prefer the one, fried rice dumpling.

I also tried their nyonya rice dumpling which consist of sweeten minced meat and a mild of spice. For this one I find that it a bit huge compare to those I usual had before. The taste was average to my liking.

I love the red bean rice dumpling which is a sweet rice dumpling. I really like this, the size is great, not too huge and easy to handle. The glutinous rice was soft and tender, as you bite into it, you can taste the sweetness of the red bean, it was so gorgeous and I was totally speechess.

By the end of the day, my tummy was really full and just can't handle them anymore and also had to skip my dinner too. Tasty Rice Dumplings has a great variety of rice dumpling selection and also not too pricy and very affordable. I would give them an 8 out 10 for quality, tasty and affordablity.

Tasty Rice Dumpling
28, Jalan SL 1/2
Bandar Sungai Long
03-90766130

19 comments:

Cutie said...

Oh, I love Choong especially with a lot of green beans. hehe.. yummy! But it's very fattening so I dare not eat too much.

KopiSoh said...

This is indeed a treat, "chung" I was just complaining that I dun get to eat chung, well now I guess I still dun get to eat it but at least got pigcher. Congrats on opening this blog, keong hee keong hee. Lucky you come and tell me last time I come, no open shope yet :P

WokandSpoon said...

I loovveee this - haven't had it for ages! I will have to learn how to make it myself!

East Meets West Kitchen said...

Wow! Love your pictures of 'Choong'. Haven't had the red bean ones for such a loooong time!

wmw said...

The joong looks good, generous amount of filling!

Chef Erik said...

This looks great. In Puerto Rico we have a simular dish called pasteles.

wushukid said...

"choong" festival came and gone without my knowledge. Brings back memory. I thought you would make them yourself and show us how you do it. I was suck into this from lyrical lemongrass and your mission statement. lol. I can wait iron chef!!

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

wow..u must have used such a sharp knife to get into perfect halves!..i normally use a spoon and break it open..and of course its just crumbles into pieces..not worthy of a picture

Jason said...

Aiya, "choong"'s attack! I didn't go back to celebrate with my parents too and didn't have any "choong" as well :(
I guess my mom had prepared a few bunch at home by now.

KellytheCulinarian said...

MMMM ... if only could figure out how to replicate that.

Tummythoz said...

Waaa.. 1st post on a 'tai-yat-chi' sure very 'ong'. Congrats!

Babe_KL said...

i have bought from here before too. and they're pretty good.

Precious Pea said...

Oooh...yummy yummy yum yum yum. Err...that egg yolk was add-on rite? Colour doesn't look like being stuffed and boiled together.

Kenny Mah said...

Wow, this is the most detailed zhang/chung post I've come across yet, with history some more. Can't wait to go home Melaka and whack me some Nyonya chung... Yumssss....

P.S. Congrats on "opening" a new blog. Something like opening a new shop with guests and fireworks... ;)

teckiee said...

fooyoh! look at the moon in the middle of the chung! Syok!

msiagirl said...

I really want that egg yolk!! and that bit of fat pork right in the middle!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Those dumplings look wonderful and tasty! I love this kind of food...

SteamyKitchen said...

I wish I knew how to make Choong Chi....I'm hungry for them right now.

Ashley said...

The rice dumplings look amazing! I had something similar in Thailand, but they were much smaller and in square shapes, with pandan flavor. They were delightful!