From 屈原 to 王記府城肉粽

History Behind Culinary

Dating back more than 2,000 years, rice dumplings, also known as Zongzi, are a traditional food that remains an important part of the Dragon Boat Festival today. At 王記府城肉粽, that tradition is preserved through time-honored recipes and warm hospitality. 

During the Warring States, there was a beloved minister called Qu Yuan (屈原). He grew up in a noble family and then later worked as a government official. He tried to warn the king about the neighboring state Qin, who had lots of ambitions of taking over their own land (Chu). Qu Yuan advised the king to align with the State of Qi to counter Qin, but because of other corrupt officials inside the court, the king was pushed away from Qu Yuan’s advice. Qu Yuan’s advice was focused on centralizing the power of Chu, but many of his ideas went against the aristocrats, which he was still a part of. For instance, the citizens that worked on farmland or were peasants were paid by the aristocrats. Qu Yuan wanted those same people to work in the army instead, making many of the aristocrats unhappy. Despite his efforts, Qu Yuan was exiled after the king rejected his advice. Years later, many of Qu Yuan's warnings proved true as Qin continued to threaten Chu. Although Qu Yuan helped improve relations between Chu and the State of Qi, he was never fully restored to his former influence at court.

However, his continued criticism of the court was viewed as disloyalty, leading to a second exile. He was then banished and he had written lots of literature. When he saw his hometown being destroyed, he couldn’t take the heartache anymore and decided to jump into the Miluo River. Since he was beloved by many, people raced out in boats to search for him after he entered the Miluo River, a tradition that later became associated with the Dragon Boat Festival.

During this festival, there are traditions such as racing dragon boats, and according to legends, resulting in the invention of my favorite tradition - ZongZi, or rice dumplings. They still come from the story of Qu Yuan. People threw ZongZi into the river in hopes of Qu Yuan dying peacefully without the disturbance from the fishes. Now, it is filled with ingredients including meat, mushrooms, egg yolk, and more, depending on which region it is from. Wang Ji’s has a tradition of making these for decades and they have perfected the Southern Zongzi, the one they sell. The Southern ZongZi is recognizable in Taiwan, as it is filled with many ingredients while the Northern ZongZi are more like Taiwanese Glutinous Rice. 

Wang Ji's

At Wang Ji's, customers line up at the entrance and place their orders before finding a seat. Everything is done with efficiency and precision, making the anticipation of the meal even greater. Instead of having many items on the menu, they perfected it to a few. The ZongZi is filled with ingredients. While the meat is on the fattier side, it is juicy and melts in your mouth. In one bite, it pairs well with the glutinous rice. Furthermore, inside the rice dumpling, it is filled with different ingredients that make it have a variety of textures. There was chewiness from the mushroom, dryness from the egg yolk, and many more - making each bite even more interesting than the last. The sauce ties it all together, bringing in moisture, a little bit of sweetness, and most importantly, umami. 

Other orders included the Fish Ball Soup with Radish, Rice Cake Bowl, and Sweet Rice Dumpling. I loved the fish ball soup because it made me feel like I was at my grandmother’s house where she always had to make sure I ate enough. The bowl was overflowing with the radish and fish balls that I initially thought were pork balls due to their size. When needed, they would also let you add more soup back to the bowl to go with the ingredients. For the Rice Cake Bowl, I wished there were more ingredients in it, but it added anticipation when I found a shrimp inside the bowl, making me eat one bite and another repeatedly. Lastly, to end the meal, it was the sweet rice dumpling that had red bean paste. The amount they have given was so generous. The red bean paste had a smooth and not too sweet taste to it and it was all concentrated in the center of the rice dumpling. 

Wang Ji’s not only show a continuation of a long-lasting tradition, they also show how to be a delicious, hospitable restaurant. While the first rice dumplings thrown into the river may not have contained today's rich fillings, they inspired a dish that continues to bring families together every Dragon Boat Festival. This holiday, enjoy a Zongzi from Wang Ji's and take a moment to remember the legacy of Qu Yuan.

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