Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival 2023 with these exquisite rice dumplings
Every year, as the Dragon Boat Festival comes around, those distinct rice dumplings that accompany the festival and their bundles of delicious joy will never fail to catch our attention. A perfect chance for us to reconnect as we deliver customary gifts of rice dumplings to our loved ones and favourite people, the Dragon Boat Festival is one filled with exciting displays of culinary heritage and vibrant traditions. In recent years, our multi-cultural city has also been blessed with innovative approaches to the traditional rice dumpling to meet the evolving tastes of the contemporary generation. If you’re looking out for rice dumplings to pamper your loved ones with this season, here are some of the best choices to check out this year.
Inspired by our beloved Peranakan culture, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport celebrates the traditional festivities with the debut of their Iberico Rice Dumplings Collection. Handcrafted with the finest ingredients with a touch of luxe, the collection features three new flavours: the Premium Iberico Rice Dumpling with five-spiced Iberico pork, dried scallops, chestnuts and more, Rendang Iberico Rice Dumpling made with Executive Chef Alvin Leong’s signature rempah, and the classic Nyonya Iberico Rice Dumpling beautifully tinged with butterfly-pea flower extract.
Presenting handcrafted bundles of flavours brimming with quality ingredients to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival this year, the Crystal Jade Group’s range of classic and contemporary rice dumplings promises to satisfy any palate regardless of preference. Brand new options to go for are the fragrant Scallion Oil Chicken with Preserved Vegetable Cai Po Rice Dumpling and subtly sweet Petite Red Bean Paste with Tangerine Peel Rice Dumpling. To bond with loved ones and share a delectable dumpling experience, go for their Jumbo-Sized Hong Kong Style Abalone Rice Dumpling or indulge yourself with the timeless Classic Five Spice Marinated Pork Rice Dumpling.
From Pan Pacific Singapore’s award-winning Cantonese restaurant comes an ensemble of handcrafted rice dumplings this year in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival. Their intricately curated interpretations present luxurious and irresistibly delicious offerings that will pamper your taste buds and impress loved ones. Take your pick from the Traditional Jumbo Rice Dumpling with Abalone, a sharing-sized dumpling generously filled with the likes of pork belly, whole dried scallops, chestnuts, and whole abalone, or go for the Szechuan Mala Chicken Rice Dumpling for a different punch of flavours. Other not-to-be-missed highlights include the Black Glutinous Nyonya Rice Dumpling which hides candied melon and Japanese mushrooms within a blend of premium black and white glutinous rice, and timeless renditions of the Hokkien Rice Dumpling and Teochew Dumpling with Yam Paste and Gingko Nut.
Renowned for their exquisite traditional rice dumplings, Joo Chiat Kim Choo continues to make their rice dumplings using recipes passed down from generation to generation. Showcasing a range of both sweet and savoury flavours, they present 4 beautifully packed sets of unique specialty flavours, specially curated for their Gift Collection Sets this year. Launched in honour of the four biggest Chinese ethnic groups in Singapore, the limited edition Four Heavenly Kings Gift Set features classic flavours from the Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, and Cantonese. For smaller, snack-friendly options, go for the Petite Treasures Gift Set, available in either a Sweet or Savoury variation. The stunning Emperor’s Heirloom Gift Set presents six of their premium Emperor’s Rice Dumplings in an elegant custom-made two-tier rose gold box. For a trip down memory lane, go for the Memory Trove Gift Set, a customisable box of eight rice dumplings and a traditional Kueh Salat cake.
Celebrate the upcoming Dragon Boat festivities with Paradise Group’s acclaimed Hong Kong-style rice dumplings, all meticulously handcrafted and chock-full of premium-quality ingredients. Returning to the line-up this year are long-standing favourites: the Premium Abalone Rice Dumpling, Salted Pork Belly Brown Rice Dumpling, Pork with Conpoy and Chestnut Rice Dumpling, and the exquisite Black Truffle Charred BBQ Iberico Pork Rice Dumpling. Fans and gourmands can also look forward to three new offerings this season with the nostalgia-inducing Braised Pork Belly with Japanese Mushroom and Conpoy Rice Dumpling, Gula Melaka Red Bean Paste Rice Dumpling, and the exclusive Roasted Pork with Dried Shrimp and Conpoy Spicy Rice Dumpling which is only available as part of Paradise Group’s Rice Dumpling Gift Set.
Presenting a refreshing take on glutinous rice dumplings, the Swensen’s Rice Dumpling Ice Cream is handcrafted to resemble real dumplings. Complete with an exterior of “bamboo leaves” secured with “woven strings”, these realistic “rice dumplings” are then dusted with shimmery gold dust for an added touch of luxe. Launching an all-new flavour this year, the Genmaicha Rice Dumpling Ice Cream features the lingering fragrance of roasted brown rice on top of a unique salted egg chocolate bon bon within. Back by popular demand is their Pulut Hitam Rice Dumpling Ice Cream with its gorgeous purple interior and black glutinous rice bits.
This year, gourmands can look forward to an assortment of five different rice dumplings from the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant. Presenting a range of flavours from traditional Cantonese-style pork belly fillings to modern creations, and even a vegetarian option, look out for all-new offerings like the luxurious 5-Head Abalone with Karasumi & Iberico Pork Rice Dumpling and unique Oolong Tea Smoked Roasted Irish Duck Rice Dumpling. Making a comeback is their popular White Pepper Crab Rice Dumpling and Signature Pork & Salted Egg Rice Dumpling. For a highly nutritious vegetarian option, their Cordyceps Flower & Purple Glutinous Rice Dumpling is an appetising mix that features black truffle paste for added taste.
This year, Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant shines a spotlight on a new, nutritional rice dumpling creation for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival – the exquisite Abalone & Cumin Pork Rice Dumpling. Not only is it fragrant and irresistibly flavourful, it also helps in digestion, boosts our immune system, and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. For a more traditional taste, go for the Xin’s Homemade Traditional Rice Dumpling with five-spiced braised pork belly and salted egg yolk, or satisfy your sweet tooth with their Red Lotus Seed Paste Rice Dumpling.