Beyond the hearth, zongzi still the heart of holiday

For older generations, however, zongzi is still closely tied to home cooking and family memories.

Chen Guiying, 58, who grew up in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, said her family would begin preparing for the festival about a week in advance. Fresh bamboo or reed leaves were washed and soaked. Glutinous rice was left overnight until the grains became full and soft. The fillings were simple — red dates, red bean paste, pork, chestnuts, or salted egg yolk.

"There were no fancy gift boxes or unusual flavors," Chen said. "Every family made zongzi at home. Neighbors also gave them to one another. The fragrance of leaves and rice would fill the courtyard," Chen said.

In those days, zongzi was not a branded product. It was plain, filling food and a family activity. Children learned the skill from elders. Relatives shared the finished dumplings, and neighbors exchanged sweet and savory versions as a gesture of goodwill. The value of a zongzi came from the time and care put into it, not from the packaging.

But urbanization, busy work schedules and smaller households have gradually changed the pastime. Many young people no longer have the time or skills to wash leaves, soak rice, prepare fillings and boil zongzi.

For Lin, buying the specialty is a pragmatic choice. He and his wife, both fond of southern-style savory zongzi, usually prepare several varieties before the holiday.

"It is convenient and saves a lot of effort," he said. "The products on the market are also quite good now. But honestly, no matter how good they taste, they still seem a little different from the ones my grandparents made. What is missing is the warmth of making them together."

A wide range of the dumplings are commercially available.

Affordable loose zongzi and bagged products meet daily household needs. Midrange gift boxes have become a common choice for visiting relatives and friends. High-end zongzi, made with ingredients such as abalone, sea urchin, scallops, black truffle or high-quality pork, are intended as business gifts and for consumers seeking a more upmarket culinary experience.

Fancier dumplings have also entered the market, with gift boxes becoming an important part of corporate gift-giving and family consumption, the report said. It also noted that more than 5,600 businesses in China had names or product focuses related to zongzi as of May. About 40 percent are located in the southeastern coastal region.