Chinese sticky rice with peanuts in banana leaf in San Diego?

[surfer1966]

Anybody have a tip on where to get Chinese sticky rice with peanuts in banana leaf? They use to have it at Hong Kong BBQ but they no longer have the variety with peanuts.

[steveprez]

We love them as well. Ranch 99 could be a place to look. Check at the deli counter. However, for Chinese they are typically a seasonal food associated with the Dragon Boat Festival (May-June time frame). We ususally just eat the ones my mother in law makes. She makes them with bamboo leaves and the filling is peanuts, chestnuts and pork.

[redconfetti]

I think that you're talking about Zongzi. Look it up on wikipedia. A Chinese friend of mine recently introduced me to this food.

[trentyzan]

Are you looking for peanut exclusively? I usually get zongzi at the Viet markets or Ranch 99, but a lot of the vegetarian ones have gluten, tofu or mushroom in addition to peanut. Making your own is pretty easy, too.

You also have to watch out for freshness, as a friend of mine got incredibly ill from a bad one. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming up in a few months, and they'll be in heavy rotation then...

[surfer1966]

I like it with peanut and some type of meat either chinese sausage or pork. With or without mushrooms are fine.

What varieties do they have at Ranch 99? How do you determine whether you get a fresh one?

[trentyzan]

I usually get the vegetarian, but I think pork is typically there also. As for freshness, just go fairly early before evening. I don't buy them marked down or if the bamboo leaf wrapper is dried out and brittle at the end of the day. Taking them home for a secondary steam probably doesn't hurt either.

[daimyo]

China Max during lunch has sticky rice wrapped in tea leaves with chinese sausage. Might be lotus leaf, but I can't remember. Its on the dim sum menu.

[daantaat]

if it's nor mai fan, it's lotus leaves.

[hye]

Is that related to "lo mai gai / nuo mi ji"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mai_gai

[surfer1966]

Actually I was looking for zongzi. They have it at Ranch 99 but it's not that good. I go up to San Francisco once a year to get my fix now.

[surfer1966]

That sounds great! Do they have peanuts inside?

[daimyo]

Unfortunately for you no peanuts. Still pretty tasty.

[normalheightsfoodie]

Call Safron on India Street and see if they have it. They sometimes have rice in coconut milk that is wrapped in a leaf.