Rice Dumplings - Zong Zi

Bingo! The elusive $1.50 Singapore meal that is Coeliac safe. Rice dumplings, or Zong Zi, are individually wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. There is no pastry-like wrapper as the leaves serve the purpose of holding the rice in place. There are rice dumpling stands all over Singapore, all year through. During the Dragon Boat festival in May Zong Zi abound as a commemoration of Qu Yuan, a legendary poet who is said to have drowned himself about 2000 years ago in protest against corruption in the ruling classes. The legend goes that the people threw rice dumplings into the water to stop the fish from eating the revered poet. These days in Singapore the dumplings are exchanged between family and friends to be eaten. Be aware that most of the dumplings will have soy sauce or other gluten containing sauces mixed through, but most stands seem to sell at least one coeliac friendly variety. The gluten-free variety sold at the dumpling stand in the Care Four in Suntec City contains only glutinous rice, (glutinous being a description of the consistency, not an indicator of gluten), crushed peanuts, legumes, mushrooms, salt and pepper. As well as checking that your dumpling does not contain sauce, be sure to check that no additional grains have been added for 'health benefits'. I have been warned by a friend that sometimes wheat or barley is used to add fiber and that these would be visible as full grains, not as a flour. As always, stay away from processed meats where you don't have the opportunity to check the ingredients. Looking forward to seeing the new variety of dumplings that come out in May - fingers crossed that some of these rely on gluten free flavors!