Hi guys, this is Claire, the Sales and Marketing Associate for Aw's Market. 

Bazhang has always been a classic favourite for many families. For mine, it gets doubly exciting because the end product is one that features the fun and hard work of all three generations in the family!

For those who are wondering what Bazhang is, you might be more familiar with the name Rice Dumplings or 肉粽. It is made up of glutinous rice with a generous serving of meat fillings in the middle. My Po Po's recipe features a special addition of red bean paste to appeal to the sweet and savoury taste buds at the same time.

Most traditional Bazhangs will only contain Pork Belly for the meat fillings because it contains a nice amount of fats, and lends more flavour to the dumpling. However, my Po Po finds that during this period, the Pork Belly can get too overpriced, or can be difficult to procure in local markets. This year though, she is a little lucky because her favourite grandchild, AKA me, managed to order some Fresh Indonesian Pork Belly for her through Aw's Market. Why does Po Po insist on using Indonesian Pork? Because it is one of the only sources of fresh (slaughtered and processed 15 hours before delivery) pork in Singapore. 

This year, besides the traditional Pork Belly, Po Po has decided to experiment with different options, she has experimented with different meat options for the fillings and included more alternatives. She included Pork Lard to add flavour, and also used Pork Twee Bak mixed with Pork Belly. Pork Twee Bak is slightly less fat compared to the Pork Belly as the fat is not combined with the meat, and can be easily removed for people who prefer to not have as much fat in their dumplings. 

She has also created a new flavour of Bazhang this year - Tom Yum Flavoured Ba Zhang. Personally, this flavour of Bazhang is my favourite out of all the Ba Zhangs my Po Po has created so far; it is an interesting and modern twist and also tastes really delicious!

Although the legend behind Dragon Boat Festival is not one with a happy ending, the festival today is looked forward to by many including myself.