Dedicated to Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet of the Chu State.
Chinese Food
We must acknowledge that China is one of the countries with the longest history and civilization. Chinese customs and culture have greatly influenced other nations in Asia, especially Thailand, which is known as a sister country with a long-standing good relationship.
Thai culture has absorbed many elements from Chinese cuisine, and Bajang is one of the traditional Chinese dishes we are familiar with during the Bajang Festival, which this year falls on Monday, June 10 (the 5th day of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar).
Bajang and its Legend
As far as Ticy City knows, the Bajang Festival originated to commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the Chu State, and also to ward off evil and diseases.
According to legend, over 2,000 years ago, before China was unified, it was divided into seven major states: Qin, Chu, Qi, Han, Wei, Zhao, and Yan. In the state of Chu, there was a knowledgeable advisor, a scholar, and a great poet named Qu Yuan, who was very loyal to Chu.
When Emperor Qin Shihuang sought to unify China, the state of Qin invaded Chu. However, the ruler of Chu was misled by corrupt officials, leading to the loss of the kingdom and the death of the king. Heartbroken, Qu Yuan wrote poems expressing his sorrow and eventually committed suicide by drowning on the 5th day of the 5th month.
Upon hearing the news, the villagers paddled their boats in search of Qu Yuan. They threw rice wrapped in bamboo into the river to distract the fish from eating his body. On the first anniversary of Qu Yuan’s death, the villagers wrapped rice in leaves or bamboo and threw it into the river to commemorate him, marking the beginning of the Bajang Festival. This wrapped rice eventually became known as Bajang, a traditional festival food.
Bajang Recipes
Bajang is glutinous rice wrapped with various fillings, tied into a triangular shape in bamboo leaves, and then steamed or boiled. The ingredients mixed with the glutinous rice include salted radish, split mung beans, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, peanuts, garlic, pepper, salt, soy sauce, and pork fat. Other ingredients may include dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, marinated pork belly, mashed taro, and salted egg yolk.
There are various recipes for Bajang, both savory and sweet. Most Chinese in Thailand are Teochew, so they often combine sweet and savory in one package, with mashed taro as a special feature called Sangpengjang.
‘Cantonese-style Bajang’ from ‘Gokjai’ – Unique Square Shape
The Bajang familiar to Thais is usually triangular and stir-fried. However, this Bajang Festival, Ticy City presents the ‘Cantonese-style Bajang’ from Gokjai, a legendary Cantonese restaurant known for its durian mooncakes.
The highlight of this Bajang is its abundant fillings, steamed glutinous rice that is soft and uniform, large size, square shape, no preservatives or MSG, and rich flavor. It is made only once a year and comes in four varieties:
- Traditional Cantonese-style with single egg
- Quinoa and grains, vegetarian
- Sweet red bean/lotus seed filling
- Sweet taro and ginkgo filling
Gokjai’s Cantonese-style Bajang is very large, weighing about half a kilogram each, packed with 11 ingredients: chicken drumstick, large pork belly pieces, one salted egg yolk, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, lotus seeds, Chinese sausage, mung beans, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and high-quality glutinous rice.
The meticulous preparation process takes considerable time. The glutinous rice is soaked for 6 hours to soften, mung beans for 4 hours, shiitake mushrooms are cleaned, soaked until soft, and seasoned, while chicken drumsticks and pork belly are marinated in five-spice powder for a fragrant aroma. Chinese sausage is sliced and fried before wrapping, dried shrimp is cleaned and fried, and lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, and chestnuts are cleaned and boiled until cooked.
After preparing all the ingredients, they are wrapped in large, clean, boiled bamboo leaves. The wrapping must be tightly sealed into a square shape, and finally covered with banana leaves and tied to prevent water from seeping in during boiling. It is boiled over low heat for 6 hours to ensure the glutinous rice and fillings are cooked and tender, with the heat blending the flavors of all the ingredients. When unwrapped, the first impression is the abundance of fillings, the aroma of the ingredients, and the soft, melting texture of the glutinous rice.
Gokjai offers delivery with cold storage. For more information, contact Line: @gokjai or call: 02-4377926, 02-4376472
Photos: Panee Cheevapark
Photo of Qu Yuan from https://th.wikipedia.org
