Rice dumplings are served throughout the year in Singapore, but they appear in more abundance near the time of the Dragon Boat Festival. Some families make a tradition of gathering to make the dumplings, and many people, like Val, make them to give away.
I once watched a dumpling-making demo at a supermarket, and I went to a Dragon Boat race in Macao once many years ago. That really doesn’t make me an expert on rice dumplings or Dragon Boat races. There are interesting stories on the internet about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Val surprised me with photos of her dumplings (she usually sends photos of her amazing lunch boxes). “I have been giving away bak chang (glutinous rice dumplings with fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves) to colleagues and family friends, in time for the Dragonboat festival tomorrow. I am very relieved I’ve been getting good reviews, seeing that it’s my first try.” Val.
Dragon Boat festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This year it fell on 22 June.
Bak chang can have either sweet or savoury fillings, usually of meat with red beans, mushrooms and dried fruits. I like the savoury type with braised pork and chestnuts.
Val’s colleagues and friends are very lucky people!
Have a great week ahead.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 25 June 2023
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