Xinjiang Zongzi
新疆粽子
English: Xinjiang Zongzi
Chinese: 新疆粽子
Pinyin: xinjiang zongzi
Literal: Xinjiang ‘sticky rice dumplings’
Zongzi, or Chinese sticky rice dumplings, pop up across China in May and early June as a traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival. Around this time each year, my social media fills with recipe after recipe for these glutinous rice parcels, typically wrapped in dried bamboo leaves. In the North, they’re often filled with red bean paste or Chinese dates; in the East, with pork belly or salted egg; and in the South, sometimes even seafood.
But Xinjiang’s version is something entirely different: a base of sticky rice with slow spoons of sour yogurt, a scattering of chewy green raisins and a lazy smear of apricot jam, catching in the folds of rice, melting like overripe fruit in the warm sun. There’s nothing tidy about Xinjiang’s version, but why should a dessert be neat? Bring on the mess.
Though locals sometimes refer to it as Xinjiang zongzi—a nod to the Han Chinese dumpling—it isn’t actually related to the Dragon Boat Festival. In reality, it’s closer in spirit to a Middle Eastern rice pudding or a Central Asian sweet dish. The original Uyghur name is elusive. Every vendor I spoke to in Ürümqi had a different term, but from what I gathered, tutmaq ash—loosely translating to “sweet sticky rice”—might be the closest fit. It’s a broad category, but it captures the essence.
Whatever its name, this street-side dish stands out. I first encountered it while wandering the alleyways of the Uyghur quarter in Ürümqi. The street food scene there is electric—hand-churned ice cream sellers beside heaps of chilled melon, piles of fresh naan, and stacks of dried beef. Tucked between it all, vendors served shallow bowls and plastic tubs of their ‘zongzi’.
This might just be my favourite “zongzi” in all of China. Where most versions can feel dense and heavy, this one is light, bright, and full of contrast: sticky rice and crunchy nuts, silky yogurt and sticky raisins. The tang of the yogurt and the perfume of apricot preserve make it as perfect for a simple summer breakfast as it is for an afternoon pick-me-up under the desert sun.
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ cup of glutinous rice
1-2 tablespoons rose water
For the topping
1 tablespoon apricot jam
1 tablespoon strawberry jam
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon raisins
3 tablespoons unsweetened yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, macadamia)
Method
Rinse the rice first. Add the glutinous rice to a bowl and cover it with water. Gently run your fingers through the rice until the water turns cloudy. Pour out the water and repeat this process several times until the water runs clear. Then soak the rice in fresh water for 2–4 hours
Drain the soaked rice and transfer it to a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the rice (about 1 cup), and bring to a boil. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the grains are tender but not mushy. Watch it carefully to avoid overcooking.
While the rice is boiling, line a steamer with cheesecloth. Once boiled, drain the rice and spread it in a thin layer over the cheesecloth. Steam for 10–15 minutes until fully cooked and slightly sticky.
Pour the rice into a sauce pan with a cup of water (just enough to cover the rice), and boil for 6 minutes. You want it tender but not mushy, so watch it carefully.
Meanwhile, line a steamer with cheesecloth, and once the rice has finished boiling, drain and add to the steamer, spreading out into a thin layer on the cheesecloth. Steam for 10-15 minutes.
Transfer the steamed rice to a large bowl. Fluff it gently and let it cool to room temperature. Drizzle in the rose water and stir to combine — just enough to make it fragrant without making it wet.
Divide the rice between two plates. Top with dollops of yogurt, then sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds, raisins, and chopped nuts. Finish with a spoonful each of apricot and strawberry jam.
