Date: 5 Feb 2020 (Wed) 68th Main: Nyonya Meat Dumpling/Nyonya Zhang/端午节 [204] [138.5%] [Score: 7.5] Cuisine: Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian Dish Type: Main Nyonya Zhang or Kuih Chang, as known to the Nyonya or Peranakan community is a special meat dumpling eaten during the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival. The term chang means zongzi, which refers to Chinese dumplings made of glutinous rice with stuffing wrapped in bamboo leaves. These meat dumplings have a unique flavour due to the coriander powder and fermented soybean used. Curious, I googled for Dragon Boat Festival 2020. Google says it falls on June 25 (Tursday), 2020. China will have 3 days of holiday from Thursday (June 25) to Saturday (June 27), and we will be back at work on Sunday , June 28. So, why do Nyonya Zhang today? Two reasons: first for the statistics (of course) and second to see if I have a true blue nyonya blood running deep in my veins (who knows).
- Robin
For the statistics, the Guardian gave this dish an 8.5 because according to her, she had tasted Nyonya Zhang before and this is an 8.5.
4 years ago - Robin
I gave it a 6.5 because filling not enough, too much blue colouring, slightly bitter probably because of bamboo leaves wrappings, and above all the shape is completely not the way an expert nyonya would do. The average scores is however a 7.5.
4 years ago - Robin
So, for the art of wrapping the dumplings with 2 sheets of bamboo leaves per dumpling is completely beyond my league! Conclusion, I doubt I have any true blue nyonya blood running deep in my veins.
4 years ago - Robin
This art of wrapping the dumpling must be acquired from transferring the skill from one generation of nyonya to the next, and that is learned either consciously or subconsciously. Apparent, I have none of those acquisitions of skill :(
4 years ago