Kimchi? Teochew Beef? 8 Unique Rice Dumplings You Likely Haven't Had

With the Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Festival fast approaching on May 31, rice dumplings or zongzi are now taking centre stage, with the treats enjoyed by Chinese families around the world. This tradition commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan, who sought to protect his kingdom, the Chu state, from corruption and invasion. When his advice was ignored and his kingdom fell, Qu Yuan, in despair, threw himself into the Miluo River. To honour Qu Yuan's memory and to prevent fish and water creatures from devouring his body, local villagers threw rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river. Over time, this act evolved into the practice of making and eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Every year, restaurants and hotels offer both traditional and newfangled rice dumplings. With the festival just around the bend, here’s a list of this year's most unique rice dumplings for those with an adventurous palate.

1. Kimchi Rice Dumpling with Kurobuta Cured Meat andMushroom

Intercontinental Singapore's Man Fu Yuan Chinese restaurant has taken Singaporeans' love for all things Korean and incorporated it into its dumpling offering for the year. The kimchi rice dumpling comes stuffed with aged kimchi, Kurobuta cured meat, and mushrooms. If you're looking for a gift, it’s available as part of two dumpling sets, each comprising five dumplings. The sets are priced at $129.80 nett (which includes Man Fu Yuan’s exclusive tea blend) or $189.80 nett with a 375ml bottle of Taittinger Brut Champagne.

How much: $23.80 nett or as part of a set, from $129.80 nett

Visit Intercontinental Singapore's website for more information or order here.

2. Red Fermented Bean Curd Pork Belly and Peanut Rice Dumpling (500g)

Shang Palace's chef Daniel Cheung takes us on a flavourful trip down memory lane with his Red Fermented Bean Curd Pork Belly and Peanut Rice Dumpling, drawing on childhood memories of umami red fermented bean curd dishes. Within each parcel is tender pork belly, with red fermented bean curd blended into the dumpling, adding layers of flavours and complexity. Peanuts, mung beans, and black-eyed peas, all enveloped in fragrant glutinous rice, lends crunch and texture.

How much: $29.90 (500g)

Visit Shangri-La Singapore's website for more information or to order.

3. Singapore-style Chilli Crab Rice Dumpling

If you're a fan of anything with chilli crab, you’ll definitely want to try Madame Fan’s rice dumpling creation. This 200g delight ($22) features glutinous rice wrapped around succulent crab meat, all coated in a house-made sweet and tangy sauce. Other interesting creations include the American Ginseng, Black Bean and Wolfberry Rice Dumpling ($18) and the Black Char Siew, Salted Egg Yolk, Chestnut Rice Dumpling ($28), chock-full of chunks of unctuous blackened roast pork. 

How much: $22 (200g)

Visit Madame Fan's website to order or for more information.

4. Teochew Beef Rice Dumpling

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant is serving up rice dumplings hefty enough to be a full meal — each one weighs in at 500g. Beef lovers can sink their teeth into the oblong Teochew beef rice dumpling ($48), generously packed with tender beef short ribs, salted egg, Chinese mushrooms, braised peanuts, barley, and preserved winter melon.

Prefer something spicy? The kung pao chicken and morel mushroom rice dumpling ($38) brings the heat with a bold mix of chicken, morel mushrooms, conpoy, dried shrimp, cashew nuts, cous cous, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilli.

How much: $48 per piece (500g)

Visit Sheraton Towers' page to order.

5. Yunnan Wild Mushroom & Fish Maw Dumpling

Dive into an earthy and rich blend of flavours with Resorts World Sentosa's Yunnan Wild Mushroom & Fish Maw Dumpling, which showcases rare wild mushrooms, hand-selected from the mountains of Yunnan. These prized delicacies — porcini and sarcodon imbricatus mushrooms — meet collagen-packed fish maw and premium dried seafood treasures, including abalone and scallops. Salted meat adds an umami punch to each bite.

How much: Part of a set with six dumplings (3 flavours) at $128

Visit Resorts World Sentosa's website for more information or order here.

6. Pork Trotter & Peanut with Szechuan Green Peppercorn Rice Dumpling

Add a kick to your celebrations with the Pork Trotter & Peanut with Szechuan Green Peppercorn Rice Dumpling ($25) from Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. This fragrant dumpling starts with slow-braising pork trotter in Chinese herbs for 90 minutes to soak up all that flavour, followed by an overnight marinade in green peppercorn sauce to give it a numbing, fiery punch. After poaching for three to four hours, the result is a bold blend of tender pork, peanuts, black fungus, and fragrant glutinous rice.

For something sweet, try the Pandan Gula Melaka with Shredded Coconut & Quinoa Glutinous Rice Dumpling ($18) that's reminiscent of ondeh-ondeh. The pandan-infused mix of glutinous rice, quinoa and green bean envelops creamy purple sweet potato, gula melaka and nutty shredded coconut centre.

How much: $25 nett per piece

Visit Singapore Marriott Tang Tang Plaza Hotel's page for more information or to order.

7. Salted Fish and Preserved Meat Rice Dumpling

Cantonese restaurant Hai Tien Lo's newest creation this year is the Salted Fish and Preserved Meat Rice
Dumpling ($24 nett). Dive in and you'll find a hearty medley of savoury salted fish, preserved meat, Spanish pork, peanuts, and premium glutinous rice. Also interesting — for all you orh nee lovers — is the Teochew Dumpling with Yam Paste, Chestnuts and Gingko Nuts ($15 each) inspired by the beloved traditional Teochew dessert combining creamy yam paste with coconut milk.

How much: $24 nett per piece

Visit Pan Pacific's page to order or for more information.

8. Pulut Hitam Rice Dumpling Ice Cream

If you're more of a dessert person, Swensen's Pulut Hitam Rice Dumpling Ice Cream has made a welcome return. Masquerading as a rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves is smooth velvety ice cream, and hidden within, is a salted egg chocolate bonbon that brings a sweet-meets-savoury hit. And over it is pulut hitam ice cream, speckled with black glutinous rice bits.

How much: $9.80 after GST (90g) per piece

Visit Swensen's website for more information.