The Dragon Boat Festival, sometimes known as Duan Wu Jie or simply the Dumpling Festival, is celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
The festival — which falls on 22 June this year — is traditionally commemorated with the dragon boat races and the more enjoyable munching of bamboo leaf-wrapped glutinous rice dumplings, stuffed with indulgent goodies like pork belly, chestnuts and salted egg yolk.
The laborious task of assembling the family to wrap the hearty parcels by hand has now been delegated largely to restaurants and hotels around Singapore, who continuously innovate with newer and more unique stuffings.
Think luxurious bak chang lined with abalone and scallops for an upmarket treat or given a newfangled twist with the kiss of earthy truffle or spicy mala.
There are healthier options available for silvers watching their diets, but don’t want to be left out of the festivities. Sussing out the best from the rest gets even more important as appetites shrink with age.
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Here is SilverStreak’s roundup of rice dumplings both unique and traditional for Dragon Boat Festival 2023.
Peach Garden
For a localised take on classic bak zhang flavours, look no further than Chinese restaurant group Peach Garden. Its new rice dumpling line-up for Dragon Boat Festival 2023 features an unorthodox curry chicken-stuffed number ($19.80) alongside the deluxe Buddha Jump Over the Wall Rice Dumpling ($29.80).
As the name suggests, the latter takes after the rich Chinese delicacy with an abundant stuffing of abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber and dried scallops.
More traditional fare like an XL-sized Traditional Roast Meat Dumpling ($23.80, feeds three to four) and Savoury Rice Pork Dumpling ($12.80) are also available, as are vegetarian options like the Vegetarian Mushroom Rice Dumpling with Cordyceps Flower and Mui Choy ($10.80). An auspicious $88 collection of six bak chang is available for gifting too.
Available for takeaway until 22 June 2023. Two days’ advance order required. Additional 5% off with SilverStreak exclusive promo code 'SSKDW'.
Thye Moh Chan
Stalwart Teochew bakers Thye Moh Chan, known for their handcrafted traditional pastries since 1943 (and now partnered with the BreadTalk Group), are commemorating the Dumpling Festival with a trio of Teochew-style bak chang.
Priced affordably at $6.80 a pop are their hand-packed rice mounds crammed with a sweet-savoury medley of marinated pork belly, Chinese sausage and mung bean paste wrapped in caul fat.
Other variations include one with salted egg yolk as well as a meat-free version featuring mock mutton and shiitake mushrooms.
Available for takeaway or delivery via e-store or all Thye Moh Chan outlets until 22 June 2023. Order a bundle of six dumplings to receive one extra free-of-charge, or ten for two pieces free.
Crystal Jade
A budget-friendly selection of glutinous rice dumplings awaits at family restaurant chain Crystal Jade.
Flavours include the all-new Scallion Oil Chicken with Preserved Vegetable Cai Po Rice Dumpling ($8.80) and shareable Jumbo-sized Hong Kong-Style Abalone Rice Dumpling ($25.80) packed with Hokkaido dried scallop, roast pork, duck and a whole 10-head abalone.
Those who prefer sweet bak chang can opt for the Petite Red Bean Paste with Tangerine Peel Rice Dumplings instead ($8.80 for five).
Available for takeaway from 29 May 2023 to 22 June 2023 at selected outlets. Three days’ advance order required. Order before 28 May to get up to 15% off (Jadeite members and UOB cardholders only); additional 5% off with promo code R23FI5.
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Drawing inspiration from the classic Chinese dish of tea-smoked duck, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant presents an all-new festive glutinous rice dumpling featuring Irish duck — which is renowned for its succulence – smoked with premium imperial oolong tea ($20).
The restaurant’s second debut flavour for this year’s Dragon Boat Festival sees a combo of 5-head abalone, scallop and Iberico pork gussied up with karasumi, or dried mullet roe, which is said to hold an umami savouriness comparable to salted egg yolk ($30).
Otherwise, there’s always the White Pepper Crab Rice Dumpling ($22), a returning favourite and play on the local zi char dish, along with the vegetarian-friendly Cordyceps Flower & Purple Glutinous Rice Dumpling ($18).
Available for takeaway or delivery via e-store until 22 June 2023. Three days’ advance order required. Order at least four dumplings with discount code RD15 to enjoy 15% off.
Paradise Group
Expect a local-accented glutinous rice dumpling ($6.80) cradling velvety housemade red bean paste and smoky, caramelly gula melaka (palm sugar) as part of homegrown Paradise Group’s latest Dragon Boat Festival offerings.
The sweetish snack shares the stage with another novel entrant, a spicy-savoury one-two punch of a bak chang stuffed with an umami combination of roast pork, dried shrimp and conpoy which will only be sold as part of an exclusive Rice Dumpling Gift Set ($68.80).
Adventurous eaters might prefer a returning fusion favourite, the Truffle Charred BBQ Iberico Pork Rice Dumpling ($13.80), for its heady mix of aromatic truffle sauce and tender pork.
Available for takeaway from selected stores (Taste Paradise, Paradise Teochew, Seafood Paradise, Beauty in the Pot, Paradise Dynasty, Canton Paradise, Paradise Classic and Paradise Hotpot) until 22 June 2023. PGR members, Citi and Maybank cardholders enjoy 10% off Rice Dumpling Gift Set.
Kim Choo Kueh Chang
Kim Choo Kueh Chang is another longstanding brand that’s been kicking about since 1945. The Joo Chiat icon specialises in Nyonya-style rice dumplings (from $4.50), which differ from their bak chang cousins in the use of minced pork and a pandan leaf wrapping.
The rice dumplings are also sometimes given a blueish tint by way of bunga telang, or blue pea flowers. The brand also peddles other versions of the festive staple, including Cantonese- or Hokkien-style rice dumplings.
Available for takeaway via WhatsApp (6741-2125) or e-store for pick-up at both Kim Choo Kueh Chang outlets.
Min Jiang, Goodwood Park Hotel
Celebrate the Dumpling Festival with a pongy twist at Goodwood Park Hotel, well-known for its long-running annual durian fiesta.
Its Cantonese-Sichuan restaurant Min Jiang sells steamed kee chang (plain alkaline dumplings) tempered with a scrumptious D24 durian dip ($12 for three) in lieu of the traditional gula melaka sauce.
Also on the menu are more substantial Hokkien- ($14 for two) and Hong Kong-style savoury dumplings ($26). The latter version comprises indulgent stuffings like roast pork, roast duck and dried scallops, accompanied by a house-made soya dressing.
Available for dine-in until 22 June 2023; takeaway and delivery via e-store until 19 June 2023. Three days’ advance order required. Hotel Gourmet members and Citi cardholders enjoy 10% off.
yi by Jereme Leung, Raffles Hotel Singapore
yi by Jereme Leung in Raffles Hotel Singapore also offers something for kee chang fans.
Their alkaline glutinous rice dumplings, normally distinctly yellowish-brown after soaking in lye water, are given a floral makeover with blue pea flowers and paired with a jar of the hotel’s famous kaya ($28 for five pieces).
Savoury staples of the Dumpling Festival like a braised pork belly and preserved mustard vegetable bak chang ($22) are sold too, along with an exclusive new $49 package luxuriously stuffed with salted egg yolk, pork belly, Sakura ebi, Japanese dried scallops and a 12-head abalone.
Available for takeaway via e-store until 22 June 2023; dine-in from 5 June 2023 to 22 June 2023. One day’s advance order required. Order online before 4 June 2023 to enjoy 10% off.
