Xia Ji Rice Dumplings (Qiandeng)

Xia Ji Rice Dumplings (夏记粽子) sells fresh-wrapped zongzi in Qiandeng Old Town, Kunshan, Suzhou municipality, Jiangsu province, China. The shop is about 80 metres west of 8 Shangshu Road. Qiandeng is one of Kunshan's historic water towns, known for its old stone lanes, its Yanxiang pagoda area and the Kunqu opera heritage of the wider Kunshan region.

Zongzi are pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and boiled or steamed for hours. In Jiangsu the Su-style version tends to be plump and moist, and sweet and savoury varieties are both common. The shop's two named signatures are the pork zongzi (鲜肉粽), in which seasoned fresh pork, often with a rich soy flavour, is wrapped inside the rice, and the red-bean zongzi (豆沙粽), filled with sweet red bean paste. The first is a savoury meal and the second works as a dessert or snack.

The operation is a small takeaway shop. There is no formal dining room and no wine or beverage programme, and dress is irrelevant. The atmosphere is that of a traditional food stall on the old-town street, with steam rising from the pots and customers buying one or several dumplings at a time. Zongzi are associated most strongly with the Dragon Boat Festival in the fifth lunar month, when demand rises sharply, though they are sold year-round in many shops.

No reservation system is documented, and the shop is walk-in. At about CNY 6 (about $0.9) per person, it is one of the cheapest snacks in the town. Zongzi are filling, so one or two make a light meal. Opening times are not documented, so checking Dianping (大众点评) or Amap before visiting is advisable, and the exact location is best confirmed on the map given the address description relies on a nearby street number.