Different cities in China have different zongzi. In Beijing, zongzi is most made with peanuts and Chinese red date. And in some other places people replace white rice with purple rice. In some parts of Guangdong and Fujian provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people put rice into alkaline(碱的) water. It will make white rice become yellow and more soft. People in Sichuan Province make a spicy zongzi. while in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the locals put a piece of pork fat into the zongzi to give it a special aroma(香气). 

In Hainan, zongzi is wrapped in banana leaves, while zongzi on the mainland is wrapped in bamboo leaves. On the island of Taiwan, zongzi is made with fried rice and fried pork, as well as dried mushroom and dried bean curd(豆腐干). But the most famous zongzi in China is from Zhejiang’s Huzhou and Jiaxing, and these have become the national standard.

    In Huzhou, salty zongzi is made with fresh pork, while sweet zongzi is made with peanuts and a piece of pork fat. Jiaxing zongzi uses chicken and “eight treasures”, as well as the more common duck egg. But fresh pork zongzi is the most popular. The meat is taken from the pig with sugar, salt and wine to give it plenty of aroma(香味).