New flavours under wraps

Huang Lijie | Straits Times | Sun Jun 6 2010

Singapore, June 6, 2010- Wattle-necked soft shell turtle and fish maw might be unlikely bedfellows under a cocoon of sticky glutinous rice, but when it comes to rice dumplings sold during the Dragon Boat Festival, it is par for the course.

Indeed, rice dumpling, or zongzi, sold during this festive period is going the way of mooncakes, where the sky is the limit on newfangled flavours.

Rice dumplings are available all year round but it is most sought after in the month leading up to the Dragon Boat Festival. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which falls on June 16 this year.

The festival commemorates the death of one of China’s most famous poets, Qu Yuan, in 278 BC.

According to popular belief, he waded into a river to commit suicide to protest against the corruption of the government and villagers threw dumplings into the river to prevent fish from eating his body.

To pique jaded tastebuds and boost rice dumpling sales, retailers are rolling out unusual flavours such as black garlic with smoked bacon, cempedak and even cold dessert puddings wrapped to look like pyramid-shaped dumplings.

And consumers seem to be taking the bait.

Retailers whom LifeStyle interviewed say sales this year are better than last year, with some shops registering a 20 per cent jump.

Cherry Garden at the Mandarin Oriental, which offers a slow-braised pork belly and lychee rice dumpling that is flavoured with lychee liqueur, has seen a 20 per cent increase in orders from last year.

Sales have been similarly buoyant at Pearl River Palace in Suntec City and the restaurant expects to exceed its sales forecast by about 30 per cent, having sold over 2,800 rice dumplings since the middle of last month.

Retailers add that although their best-selling rice dumplings are still the traditional ones such as Nonya and Cantonese-style rice dumplings, the novel flavours help attract diners and get them excited about the product.

Mr Lim Cheng Hwee, 44, managing director of the 13-outlet Eastern Rice Dumpling, says he is introducing a brown rice dumpling even though its Nonya and Hokkien-style dumplings are perennial top sellers.

This, he says, is because “customers always want to try something new besides their favourites”.

And as with mooncakes, retailers are coming up with attractive gift sets and packaging for this sticky fare.

Peach Blossoms in Marina Mandarin has a luxurious-looking two-tiered dark wood gift set that is embellished with embroidered silk panels.

Mr Robert Han, 53, group general manager of Chinese restaurant Peony Jade in Clarke Quay and Keppel Club, says it is offering a gift hamper this year so that its rice dumplings are more presentable as corporate gifts. He adds that corporate orders have been “encouraging”.

Research executive Shirley Shue, 38, is thrilled that retailers are coming up with interesting rice dumpling flavours.

She says: “I have younger nieces who do not care too much for the festival or eating rice dumplings, so unusual flavours will appeal to them.

“This year, I plan to try Eastern Rice Dumpling’s new brown rice dumpling, and if it tastes good, I will buy it next year.”