Zong-zi or Jung tee or 粽子

by Benny J Hom
(new york)

I grew up in the Bronx, in the back of a chinese laundry during the 60's.


I remember my mother making jung (glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves). She would let me make a few but mine were too big or too small and I wasn't the greatest folder and string wrapper, but she never said a word.


A typical rice dumpling. Photo source: Food Recipes Stashed blog


Rice dumpling unwrapped. Photo source: Food Recipes Stashed blog

I remember they would boil throughout the night and the smell would fill the the store with the wonderful smell of jung. The next morning we would each get a whole one for breakfast.

Laundry customers would ask "what's that smell".

Whenever I walk into a store in Chinatown that makes them, it brings me back to living behind the laundry as a kid.