Sweet Zongzi or Salty Zongzi, Which Is the Elephants' Favorite

Source: dahe.cn | 2021-06-10 17:27

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, animals at the Zhengzhou Zoo received their "special gifts", zongzi (traditionally stuffed rice balls wrapped with reeds).

Sweet zongzi or salty zongzi, which is the elephants' favorite? [Photo by Deng Wanli/Henan Business Daily]

These special zongzi are made for the different tastes and recipes of the animals, some of which are even stuffed with fruits and vegetables apart from the traditional glutinous rice.

For example, the zongzi for gorilla Nico and chimpanzee Phili, the zoo's star animals, are not only stuffed with their favorite watermelons, grapes, bananas and apples, but also leaves rich in coarse fiber. Macaques enjoyed their fruit zongzi stuffed with dates and raisins, and the fresh glutinous rice zongzi.

The zongzi for elephants and hippos are especially eye-catching. According to the zoo, stuffed with chopped eggplants, summer squashes, maize and their favorite steamed corn bread, and wrapped with fresh cabbage leaves, each zongzi weighs 1 jin (1 jin equals to 0.5 kg).

Their vegetable zongzi are specially tied up with edible straw strings.

Visitors are welcome during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, said a source from the zoo. (Chinese source: Henan Business Daily Translator: Zhao Hanqing Proofreader: Li Wenjing)