粽 zòng a dumpling made of glutinous rice
How to remember 粽: 米 rice + 宗 ancestry = a dumpling made of glutinous rice. Grandma wraps sticky rice in bamboo leaves to honour the family ancestry, and each child gets a dumpling made of glutinous rice.
Component breakdown
粽 = 米 rice + 宗 ancestry
- 米 rice
- 宗 ancestry
Grandma wraps sticky rice in bamboo leaves to honour the family ancestry, and each child gets a dumpling made of glutinous rice.
How it is used
- Zongzi - 粽子 (zòngzi), glutinous rice with fillings wrapped in bamboo/reed leaves.
- The traditional food of 端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié), the Dragon Boat Festival.
- Fillings vary by region: sweet (red bean, dates) vs savory (pork, egg yolk) - a classic 甜/咸 debate.
- Bound in 粽子; measure word 个 or 只.