Whether you call them bak changs, zongzi or rice dumplings, these pyramids of rice and meat wrapped in bamboo leaves are a delicious tradition we can get onboard with. Typically eaten during the Dragon Boat festival every year, did you know that there are at least five different types of traditional bak chang in Singapore?
While many restaurants and eateries have created modern flavours these days, there’s no replacing the traditional ones. The latter can be broadly classified according to the different dialect groups in Singapore.
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Where did bak changs originate from?
Quick history lesson: The folklore about how this traditional snack came about took place in ancient China around B.C 287.
A patriotic poet from the state of Chu, Qu Yuan, was exiled as the king refused to heed his advice of attacking the state of Qin, resulting in the fall of the state. Dejected, he later drowned himself in the Mi-Luo River.
When people learned about his death, they started throwing rice dumplings into the water, hoping that the fishes and dragons would not eat his body. They also rowed boats to look for his body and this was how the tradition of racing dragon boat came about too.
Here are five traditional bak chang flavours you should try:
This is the most common bak chang you see at the stalls. Its rice is coloured brown with dark soy sauce and you get a filling of chestnut, pork belly, dried mushrooms and dried shrimps (hae-bee) inside. The fragrance of soy sauce and five-spice powder is well-balanced in every bite you take.
The Cantonese-style bak chang has a more sumputous filling of lup-cheong (chinese smoked sausage), salted egg yolk, beans or peanuts on top of what the Hokkien bak chang contains. Sometimes, the Cantonese bak chang is also wrapped into a longish shape instead of the usual pyramid.
Photo: Violet’s Kitchen
A combination of sweet and savoury, the ingredient that differentiates Teochew bak chang from the rest is a good amount of sweet red bean paste stuffed together with the savoury filling. What makes it even more special is that the red bean paste is first rolled into a ball and wrapped with caul fat. Take a break from calorie counting – the taste is heavenly!
Photo: Huang Kitchen
The Peranakans are not considered a Chinese dialect group but these natural born cooks have created their own version of bak chang. The Peranakans created the Nonya-style bak chang with minced pork and candied winter melon strips and dyeing the tip of the bak chang blue with blue pea flower. A unique touch: coriander powder is added into the filling!
Photo: Nasi Lemak Lover
Strictly speaking, all the three major dialect groups in Singapore make kee chang, so we are not sure which dialect group created it. This simple, dainty and sweet bak chang has no meat and no filling. “Kee”, which also means “lye”, gives it a lovely yellow hue and distinct flavour. Kee chang is smaller in size and often eaten by dipping it in sugar or drizzling it with gula melaka.
Want to get your hands on some delicious rice dumplings? Check out our recommendations here and here!
Photo: Annielicious Food
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Text: FoodForLife