Discovering these unique traditional dumplings at this special festival menu in Bengaluru was pure serendipity…

The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which corresponds to late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar. The holiday commemorates Qu Yuan who was the beloved prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States period, about 600 BCE to 200 BCE and is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi.

This year, Yauatcha Bengaluru decided to host The Dragon Boat Festival with a Tequila Garden highlighting a menu inspired by the festival. The festival aimed to be a summation of the celebration of this culture, its traditions, its cherished moments and flavours. We were invited to check out the limited menu recently and were absolutely wowed by what was on offer.

To begin with, zongzi dumplings aren’t something we’re very familiar with. Sticky rice, yes. Stuffed sticky rice as a dumpling, absolutely not. Just the idea of a such a unique presentation of familiar Chinese flavours was exciting enough. We wasted no time in getting familiar with the small menu and ordered almost everything on it, without regret.

The five options of zongzi on offer were: Mock Meat and Mushroom (straw mushroom, mock meat and asparagus); Black Truffle (black truffle, porcini and shimeji mushroom and sugar snap peas); Chicken & Prawn (chicken, prawn and dried shiitake mushroom); Prawn & Water Chestnut (prawn, water chestnust, shimeji mushroom and snow peas); and Braised Pork Belly (Belgian pork belly and sichuan peppercorn).

Each of the offerings were absolutely delicious and our favourites were the mock meat and prawn & water chestnut. Served with two sauces, one sweet and one spicy — we were stuffed by the time we got to the fifth serving and if it wasn’t for our refreshing cocktails — Smoke & Chill (tequila, agave, hickory smoke and ghost pepper), Dragon Boat Margarita (tequila-infused red rice, sake, wasabi and yuzu) and Pun Chun Margarita (tequila, yuzu, sake and pun chun brine) — we might have taken a peaceful nap brought on by pure satiation.

That they only had one dessert option — Mango Rice Tapioca — came as a welcome change and while we thoroughly enjoyed the sweet dish too, it was nowhere close to the joy of discovering the deliciousness of zongzi dumplings.

Meal for two: INR 3,500 onwards. On till July 15. At MG Road.

Email: romal@newindianexpress.com

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