“Duanwu calls for a sugar-served alkaline Zongzi to appease the stomach，and a herbal sachet on the chest to repel the evilness.” For generations in Ningbo， the household celebration of Duanwu， commonly known as Dragon Boat Festival in the West，is characterized by the making of Zongzi at home. These rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves have a long history tied to a rich local culture.
David from New Zealand is an old friend of China. He has been to many areas across this Oriental country and tasted various local delicacies. Yet he has not tried the homemade alkaline Zongzi from Ningbo. Last week， David came to Ningbo for business. Snatching a little leisure time away from busy work， David joined us on a trip to Houzhou Village of Fenghua District and learned the making of Zongzi from Auntie Wang.
The authentic alkaline Zongzi must be wrapped in bamboo leaves to endow the stuffing inside with an aroma of fresh bamboo.
地道的宁波碱水粽要用竹壳包裹，自带竹笋的鲜美。
Brush the hair off the bamboo leaves carefully. Softly wash the glutinous rice with a basket.
毛茸茸的竹壳要用刷子仔细清洗，糯米用竹篮子轻轻淘洗，
David learned each step fairly fast by following Wang， whose skills are inherited from her mother and her grandmother.
一招一式马大伟都学得飞快。王妈的手艺源自她的妈妈和外婆。
Fold the leaf into a cone. “Just like an ice cream cone.” Wang showed us how she made the shape. Immediately， David made a similar one.
竹壳对折后，卷成圆锥形，王妈解释，“就是冰激凌的形状”，马大伟心领神会。
Doing business in China over 20 years， David can now speak very good Mandarin. “You're the best teacher！” He expressed his gratitude in Chinese toward Wang for her step-by-step instructions. “You！ Very good student！” In English， Wang gave a like back to David.
David started to get the hang of it. One， two， and three！ He soon worked out the third one. And to get rid of the extra long wrapping string， he bit off part of it without hesitation. “Ha！ This is exactly how we do it！ ” Wang laughed with appreciation： “And you figured it out all by yourself.”
Before the zongzi is ready for a taste， it needs an 8-hour boiling and cooking period. Does it mean we have to wait for 8 hours？ Fortunately， Wang had cooked some for us in advance. The steaming hot， handmade alkaline Zongzi are served on the table with honey， osmanthus syrup， dark brown sugar and crystal sugar on the side.
粽子包好，需要炖煮8个小时。王妈端出了早就煮透的碱水粽，搭配上土蜂蜜，桂花蜜，白糖等蘸料。
David unwrapped one of them and dipped it into the osmanthus syrup.
“You know what？ It’s sticky， but in a good way. Quite tasty！” David nodded his head： “Seriously， I can feel the osmanthus blooming in my mouth. How did you make the syrup？”
马大伟剥开一只粽子，蘸了点蘸料，试吃一只，满口的花香，出乎意料地美味。
Wang played a video for him to show how they meticulously collect the osmanthus and make syrup out of it.
“I’ve witnessed and tasted a lot of good things， but this is a first.” David was amazed： “And the best part is that the edible alkaline prevents you from gaining weight when you eat Zongzi with syrup.”
王妈打开手机，展示糖桂花的制作过程。见多识广的马大伟连连感叹，“我是第一次见到。”
唯一的担忧是，“会不会发胖？”
In 1991， David made his first landing in Ningbo for potential investments. And he has witnessed the rapid growth of Ningbo over the past 30 years. “I see a city of innovation， courage， and honesty in its balanced development.” David explained： “Ningbo is always creating and making breakthroughs，an investment that has led to it become the manufacturing and economic hub today. And at early stage， the city began to care for its environment.” He added： “That tells me that it is also a city of vision.” As for food， David extended his unconditional love： “I love vegetables， rice， and yellow fish soup， particularly those from Ningbo.”
放大
缩小
默认
