The busy season has arrived this year for Xiangjie Umi Zongzi in Aoshang Town of Suxian District, Chenzhou City.

 

At the production workshop of Xiangjie Agricultural Products Development Co., Ltd. located in Tianjiawan Village of Aoshang Town, staffs are busy making Umi Zongzi, a characteristic snack in Aoshang Town. 

 

Umi Zongzi is meticulously crafted from ingredient selection to production, and its unique “black” appearance attracts many diners.

 

 

For making Umi Zongzi, it’s necessary to pick multiple kinds of edible leaves from Lyonia ovalifolia and sweet gum trees, then extract juices after mashing and filtering. Then, soak the local white glutinous rice in the juice for a whole night.

 

After the white glutinous rice is dyed evenly, wrap it with fresh meat, egg yolks, chestnuts and other fillings. Boil it in a large pot for three to four hours before it is served. 

 

 

Li Qixiang, the inheritor of the production technique of Aoshang Umi Zongzi, said, “Umi Zongzi must be eaten while it is hot. After soaking up the leaf juice, the glutinous rice has the refreshing aroma of leaves and a good taste, which can not only clean the stomach and promote digestion, but also have the effects of clearing the liver, improving eyesight, antioxidation, and blackening hair. It is very suitable for those living in the humid mountainous areas in southern Hunan.” 

 

Umi Zongzi has transformed from a seasonal food in the past to a delicacy that is always in demand throughout the year.

 

In 2021, Umi Xiangjie Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop was established, mainly producing Umi Rice, Umi Zongzi and Umi Taohua (a kind of fried flower-shaped snack made of rice flour).

 

Currently, during the peak season, the workshop can produce 30,000 pieces of Umi Zongzi per day, with an annual sales of up to 2 million pieces.

 

Chinese source: rednet