from Cooking In Leaves
Karen Albright Lin
The world cooks in leaves
Chu Yuan, a great patriotic poet, was an official serving beneath one of seven warlords in China's third century B.C. After the warlord and his successor son both failed to heed Chu Yuan's political advice, the people's land fell into the hands of a warlord from whom the people had to run for their lives. Loyal Chu Yuan would not run. Nor could he stand to see the people hurt. He drowned himself in the Mi-Lo River. His parents, who dreamt that fish were eating his body, went down to the banks of the river and threw in Zong Zi, meat and rice packages wrapped in bamboo leaves. This gave the fish something else to eat. In memory of Chu Yuan, on every fifth day of the fifth month, the Chinese hold dragon boat races and eat Zong Zi.
Most cultures around the world utilize leaves and leaf-like vegetables to contain food traditionally or ceremonially. More than thirty different types of leaves are used in this manner. Local leaves are handy packaging materials that impart subtle, distinct flavors to the savory morsels they envelop. Fortunately, where fresh leaves are unavailable, dried or frozen equivalents can usually be found. |
