Discover the delicious and timeless tradition of Guangli zongzi

Guangli zongzi, glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, might be the most famous local snack of Songjiang's Sijing Town.

They started as a snack produced in the town's Yanshou Patisserie, which was established in 1893 and run by Zhou Guangli and his wife.

For more than a century, the dumpling has maintained its popularity in Songjiang and neighboring districts of Shanghai. In the early 1920s, branches of the shop opened in downtown areas such as Xujiahui and Nanjing Road E.

Guangli zongzi is different from the typical pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings. It is rectangular and wrapped in bamboo leaves tied with straw strings, instead of the usual cotton strings.

Each one weighs about 50 grams. The filling is made with a combination of lean and fatty minced meat. The zongzi are neither greasy nor chewy because the lean and the fat blend to a perfect tenderness.

The dumplings cook in a soup stock enhanced by age. Fresh water is being added from time to time, but the basic stock is never changed.

The soup stock used to cook the zongzi is a secret recipe. It is boiled over high heat for an hour and a half, then simmered on low heat for another two and a half hours. This method produces soft and tender zongzi with a delicious taste that lingers on your lips and in your mouth.

Today in Shanghai, the traditional Guangli zongzi still survive. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, various flavors with different fillings are freshly made, such as meat fillings, salted egg yolk, red bean, chestnut and jujube paste.