Known in the western world as Dragon Boat Festival, many also refer to it as Duan Wu Festival, a celebration that originated over 2000 years ago and has been passed down for generations since. With its history observed from folklore and cultural customs, Dragon Boat Festival occurs every fifth day of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar. Typically recognized as a time of dragon boat races and sticky rice wraps, this festival has deep roots in Chinese culture and means a lot more to many.
Aaron Zhou and William Chen, owners of A.BENTO, a Taiwanese eatery serving modern, authentic Taiwanese cuisine, considers this a sacred time where extended family members, often of multiple generations, spend time together to connect and share traditions.
“As a child, I used to look forward to Duan Wu Festival because that was when we would go visit Grandma. Grandma always welcomed us with her signature sticky rice wraps – which she would have spent days making – for us to enjoy together as a family. And in case she didn’t make enough, which was never the case, she would show me how to assemble them and we would spend hours chatting and making more for me to bring home,” reminisces Aaron.
Making sticky rice wraps from scratch requires patience and devotion. The process spans over days as each ingredient needs to be prepared individually before assembly: the dry shiitake mushrooms are soaked in water overnight and then strained; the strained juice from the mushroom is used to soak the raw sticky rice; the pork belly is braised with a special sauce; the sticky rice is then cooked and mixed with the braised pork jus; the salted egg yolk is baked in Shaoxing wine; and finally all the ingredients are assembled together and wrapped in dried bamboo leaves.
To share a taste of home, Executive Chef William Chen has recreated two sticky rice wraps that bring back childhood memories for purchase at A.BENTO. The two variations include the traditional braised pork belly, their personal childhood favourite, and a vegetarian option made with San Bei sauce, a distinct flavour uniquely attributed to Taiwanese cooking. Available for order via their website in groups of 6 for $25 and as part of their Dragon Boat Festival Gift Box starting at $48.99, A.BENTO is offering a taste of authentic sticky rice wraps from now until June 5th.
Now as part of the tradition, William spends the weeks and months prior to the Dragon Boat Festival making sticky rice wrap with his mother and son. To him, not only is this quality family time, but also a means to impart the values and customs of their culture and connect multiple generations – from grandma to grandson.
“With my mom’s help, we are truly honoured to pass on the tradition and hope our coming generations will do the same,” beams William.
