Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow

[skylee]

The Dragon Boat Festival is a public holiday in HK. Is it a holiday in Mainland or Taiwan? Or Korea?

Is anyone going to do anything to celebrate the festival? Join a dragon boat race? Go swimming? Eat some 粽子? Put away your winter clothes?

Someone on the radio has suggested eating a 粽子 with a scoop of ice cream (as if it were a slice of apple pie). I like the idea, but have doubt if they will mix well in the stomach.

[liuzhou]

Yes. It's public holiday on the mainland - has been for the last two years.

What will I do? Nothing - as usual.

[來撒母耳]

Anyone have a recipe for 粽子?

[Kiz]

It's a holiday on the mainland. Don't know about Taiwan. I don't think Korea will celebrate this day. The festival gets its origin from an ancient Chinese scholar named Qu Yuan(屈原). He jumped into Miluo River(汨罗江) 278 BC in desperation. For details in this thread. And he was honored by the masses of people. After his jumping, people were afraid that fish would eat his body so that they went boating on the river and cast zongzi into the river to feed the fish wishing fish will leave his body alone.

So, actually, what we have been eating are just ancient fish food. = =!~

[Glenn]

It certainly seems to be a holiday in Taiwan. I have a friend there now who said that all his labmates headed home for 端午節 already (this was yesterday).

[skylee]

I don't think Korea will celebrate this day.

It looks like they do, but in different ways. Take a look -> http://dano-korean-festival.co.tv/

Originally called Surit-nal, the new name Dano, derived from the Chinese Duanwu Festival, was adopted during Joseon Dynasty along with the exact date of celebration.

[xiaocai]

Thinking of having two 粽子 with some wine for dinner, but can't decide which flavours I'm going to have.

[skylee]

粽子 with wine! What a splendid idea. I think any red will do. Or do you mean the flavours of the 粽子? Well any will do, for me. Bon apetite.

[xiaocai]

So as suggested by skylee, I bought this bottle of cheap red wine and two 绿豆咸肉粽. Now everything is ready and it's time to enjoy, bon apetit!

[skylee]

Can we drop any more letters from appetite? hahaha. I've already had two glasses of wine so am more than a bit drunk now.

Dear xiaocai, enjoy your meal.

[xiaocai]

Sorry, double vision from too much wine.(I started drinking while the 粽子 were still in the steamer...)

Just kidding. But I do feel a bit tipsy now after half a bottle down to stomach.

Well, thanks skylee! And a happy 端午节 night to everyone!

[abcdefg]

I went (from Kunming) to the small town of Yiliang 宜良 with a couple of Chinese friends to celebrate 端午节 today. One friend was from there and, after joining a couple more of her home town pals, we all went to eat roast duck. Yiliang Roast Duck is regionally famous and is the food of choice for most special occasions there. We did eat the obligatory 粽子 as well just to uphold tradition, but the 烤鸭 was the star of the show.

[xiaocai]

Who says Chinese people don't get hangover? I woke up in this terrible headache and am still feeling a bit nauseous. I think I had too much 粽子 too. Hmm, but the 宜良烤鸭 is good. I always have it whenever I go to 昆明. They also serve deep fried bee pupae there I think. Have you had a try of that, abcdefg?

[Kiz]

@abcdefg

@xiaocai

Wow, you guys know 宜良烤鸭？ I've gone to 昆明 several times. I always loved to have it at the restaurant near 苏家塘学府路口. I once even went to 宜良县. But I never figured out which restaurant serves the best. How about you guys?

[xiaocai]

My hometown is quite close to 云南 and it usually only takes about 1 day to drive from there to 昆明. Don't remember the names of the 烤鸭 restaurants I have been to, but I think they are all quite good.

[abcdefg]

Don't remember the names of the 烤鸭 restaurants I have been to, but I think they are all quite good.

The 宜良 local people I was with said their favorite was 烤鸭成 and we first went there. But too many other people had the same idea and it would have been over an hour to wait for a table. Yiliang was really crowded. So we went instead to the other one picutred above in post # 12. Sorry, I have forgotten the name, but here is an enlargement of their sign.

We were six people and we had two ducks with lots of vegetables, some 粽子 and fresh juice for about 170 Yuan.

They also serve deep fried bee pupae there I think. Have you had a try of that, abcdefg?

I've tried them a couple times just to be a good sport, but I don't really enjoy eating them.

[xiaocai]

I haven't been there for ages. The last time I had it was at a small family roadside restaurant, about 7 or 8 years ago. But in my memory it was just as good.

I've tried them a couple times just to be a good sport, but I don't really enjoy eating them.

Neither did I. I'd rather spend my limited budget on more roasted ducks. But the local friends (well my dad's friends) always tried to get us to eat it...