Zhaoqing is famous throughout Guangdong for its zongzi — sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled. The Zhaoqing style is larger than most regional variants, filled with a combination of glutinous rice, pork belly, salted egg yolk, and mung beans, then wrapped in a rectangular shape using the specific local reed leaves that grow along the West River. The leaves impart a distinctive fragrance that Zhaoqing residents claim cannot be replicated with other wrapping materials.
The best zongzi are found at the markets and at specialist shops in the old streets near the river. They are traditionally associated with the Dragon Boat Festival in the fifth lunar month, but in Zhaoqing they are available year-round. Eating a Zhaoqing zongzi in the city where they are made, still warm from the pot, wrapped in leaves that still smell of the river, is one of those food experiences that requires no further justification.