It's going to be the dragon boat festival soon.
Can you describe to us what that's like for your family?
When it became a business to us, we started to view its culture differently.
During festivals, we'd help people wrap dumplings.
Our family would gather once a year specially to wrap dumplings.
How long would you take to wrap the dumplings?
We'd start at 6am and finish at around 4am the next day,
so we'd only get about 2 to 3 hours of sleep every day.
Does that mean that you've only gotten 2 to 3 hours of sleep last night?
Yes, so if you look at my eyes...
Everyone's wrapping dumplings from 6am till 4am the next day?
We have to wrap about 4000 dumplings per day.
4000 dumplings in a day? For how long?
We start around the beginning of May.
Wow, and you continue until the dragon boat festival.
Yes. Until after the festival.
Greetings to our global audience.
Even though everyone might feel that Singapore is very westernized, that is not actually the case.
In fact, a lot of Singaporeans value the Chinese culture as well as traditions, just like this Jin Zhu Dumpling Museum.
Whose work is this?
It belongs to this man sitting next to me, and whom I'm meeting for the second time, Ding Xiang.
Hello, Ding Xiang.
Hello.
Schools often teach that the dragon boat festival is for the sake of remembering Qu Yuan.
It actually has a bigger goal, and that is to welcome the summer festival, ward off insects
and illnesses, and bring everyone together to wrap dumplings in order to usher in the new season.
We're gathered here today to wrap nyonya dumplings together.
I must tell our friends from around the world, this can only be eaten in South East Asia.
Perhaps the next time you visit Singapore, you can come to Jin Zhu Dumplings
and look at their special product, the nyonya dumpling.
Does its name imply that it's a dumpling that won't anger your mother?
What is meant by nyonya dumpling? Could you explain for us?
Nyonya is a Malay word.
The males are called baba.
The reason why it's called nyonya dumpling is because when we Chinese first arrived
in South East Asia, we were unable to find bamboo leaves to wrap dumplings.
What were the other similar types of leaves in Singapore that we could use?
That would be the pandan leaves.
Are the pandan leaves bigger or smaller?
They're long.
The pandan leaves in Singapore are extremely big.
Only in Singapore will you be able to find big pandan leaves.
There's also a reason for that; our pandan leaves are imported from Malaysia.
The nyonya dumplings in Malaysia are wrapped with smaller leaves.
There's also a reason why they use small leaves while we use big leaves.
The nyonya dumplings in Singapore use the big pandan leaves, while the ones in Malaysia use the small leaves.
The one we're using today is a bamboo leaf?
A bamboo leaf.
For demonstration purposes, we'll use a bamboo leaf to teach you how to wrap dumplings.
Other than the pandan leaves, the fillings for the nyonya dumplings should be very special as well, right?
Yes they are.
Can you elaborate about that?
Our nyonyas hope to look slim with beautiful body lines, that's why they're very particular about what they eat.
Yes.
You can see some white spots in our filling, right?
Yes.
Is that fatty meat?
That isn't fatty meat.
No?
Those are actually winter melon strips.
It's very fragrant.
Did you prepare this yourself?
My mother specially prepared it.
I get it, it's so that it looks like fatty meat but it won't actually make you fat,
that's why you've substituted with winter melon strips.
That's very clever of you.
It has sweetness, right?
Yes, the sweetness is from the winter melon strips.
Is there anything that you absolutely have to add into the filling,
otherwise it wouldn't be considered a nyonya dumpling anymore?
We have what's called "kondobang" and we also have five-spice powder.
Coriander powder.
Oh, coriander powder. It's great that we have your mother here.
Coriander powder, and...
We also have a secret family recipe that we cannot divulge.
Oh, no wonder it's so fragrant. You actually have a secret recipe.
It really is very fragrant. Smell it.
You smell it as well.
He really breathed in very hard.
We'll get to eat this later.
What about the rice?
The rice is ordinary glutinous rice.
Our glutinous rice is special because it's completely white.
White?
We don't have any transparent rice, that's why our glutinous rice has been specially chosen.
Which country does the rice come from?
Thailand.
I'll take a look.
It's completely white.
It's pure glutinous rice.
Do the others have anything extra added?
No.
Oh, so this is the only one? That's great.
Is there any special type of string used to wrap the dumpling?
In the early days, we used to use hemp rope.
But now because we have a variety of dumplings, for the sake of differentiating them,
red strings are used for nyonya dumplings.
Oh, red represents the nyonya dumplings?
Is this for Jin Zhu or the same in the whole of South East Asia?
Only in Jin Zhu.
If you come to Jin Zhu, you'll have to look for the ones with red strings if you want nyonya dumplings.
I'd like to ask, some nyonya dumplings have blue coloring on them. What's that?
That's from the blue pea flower. It's blue in color.
We have to make a lot of rice nowadays, so we're unable to add the blue coloring.
In the past, after the rice was steamed, the blue coloring would be added.
The blue pea flower?
The color from the blue pea flower.
We'd press it in, add the meat, add another layer of rice, and then steam it.
Oh, no wonder.
When I looked nyonya dumplings up on the internet, I saw some that were blue and I thought that was very special.
The reason why the blue color can come out so vibrantly is because our rice isn't cooked yet.
Now we'll start to learn.
There are two sides to the leaf, one is smooth and the other is rough.
The side we're using is the smooth side.
One person should take two leaves.
Should it be one big leaf and one small leaf, or does it not matter?
It doesn't matter.
Even if we see that the leaves are a little damaged, they still can be used, right?
Yes.
The second step is that you can see that the leaf has one side that is hard...
And a soft side.
The two leaves should be put together like this, with the rough sides facing each other.
Both sides should be smooth.
Put them together.
Can you see how I've done it like this? I'm going to push it up higher.
You have to pull them like this.
Can I tell you a secret? This is my first time ever learning to wrap dumplings.
The second step could be a little difficult if it's your first time wrapping.
Do you see my hands like this?
I'm pushing the leaves in like this so they turn inwards.
As I'm doing that, this should appear.
Is it like this?
That's too much.
Too much?
It's more or less like that.
Your leaves have to be pointing upwards and not like this.
This is like a rabbit.
Yours looks like a rabbit.
Mine doesn't look like a rabbit, mine looks like cow horns.
They have to be like this.
It's fine as long as they're like this?
Oh, they have to look like a pocket in order to hold the rice.
Why is this important?
It's because we hope that the rice won't fall out as it's cooking.
As the rice cooks, it'll expand, right?
The moment it moves, it'll try to find a way to fall out.
You've made it rather big, but it doesn't matter because it'll still work.
It's too big?
If you want to wrap the rice in it, it'll be better if it were smaller.
Let's show them off to the camera.
Very good.
We have to hold it like you're doing, with the long ends pointing forward and the pocket facing us, right.
Yes, like this.
You'll have a hand gesture like a gun.
Yes, like a gun.
There'll usually be a shelf for you to tie the string, but it isn't here.
Oh, so that's how it usually is.
We have to grasp it at the bottom, right?
Yes, like this.
It's very important when you're adding the rice that you add them in layers, as if you're applying to bread.
Yes, one layer's enough.
Come and add the rice.
Don't add too much rice.
Just place them properly.
Be generous and add a large amount of meat filling.
Can I add more rice and less meat?
Some people prefer it that way.
The rice will expand a lot.
Oh, so that's why more meat should be added.
After that you just add one more layer like this to cover the meat.
Jus t like this.
I don't have to cover completely?
No, you don't need to.
Do I pass the test?
Yes, you have.
But you don't have to press it in, just lay it on top.
Don't press, just lay it on top.
Actually, just sprinkle on a little bit and that will do.
I get the feeling that while these mothers have been cooking for many years,
it may be their first time wrapping dumplings.
Right now the progress we've made is to first add rice in a layer, add the filling, and then add another layer of rice.
That'll do.
One very important step is to wrap the dumpling.
My method isn't to press downwards but to just fold.
Fold, don't press.
You definitely cannot press downwards, because you have to leave some space for when the rice cooks and expands.
Yes, so just folding will do.
Fold, and then do you see my hand?
I use two fingers to press down on the sides.
Do you see this line?
Director, help me, this is too difficult.
Don't press downwards, just fold directly.
Do you see this line?
Fold downwards along this line.
And then I'll fold the leaves.
Where do I fold them towards?
Look at this line, do you see this line?
There's another line here, right?
Fold it according to the line.
It's amazing; I've folded it into a square.
It's really not that easy.
After folding, we can move on to tying it.
How do we tie it?
Tying is easy.
Do you see my hand?
Grasp the dumpling with your four fingers.
Don't let the leaves escape.
Go one round and then tie it.
It'll just hang there, right?
Yes.
And then tie one more round.
Do I have to pull it tightly?
Just like this.
I don't have to pull it tightly but just tie it up like that?
Yes.
It's very firm.
The dumpling he's wrapped is very firm. This type of man you can marry.
For the wrapping, it won't unravel as long as you tie around its legs.
I'd like to ask you, how long did you take to learn to wrap dumplings?
Because right now I no longer have any confidence in myself.
I originally thought I could wrap it and then cook for everyone to eat, but in the end I couldn't even wrap it nicely.
How long did you take?
How long have you been practicing.
I've been doing it since I was young till now.
When I was young I had to learn how to wash the leaves.
Yes.
As well as how to help others tie with the string.
After that I had to tie it myself.
The important thing about wrapping the dumpling is that you have to wrap according to that line, right?
Yes.
It's because aside from the filling inside, the outside has to look good as well.
How many can be tied with this bunch of string?
50.
50? So do you cook 50 dumplings at a go?
No. Our pot is quite big so we can cook about 800 at a go.
Wow, 800 dumplings at a go?
That's great.
Do we get to eat nyonya dumplings today?
Yes you do. It's already been prepared for all of you.
That's great, we really have to give applause for that.
How long does it take to cook?
Two hours.
Two hours. It really isn't easy.
It takes two hours to cook, and then another half an hour after that.
For it to cool down?
Yes.
It's fine after it's been cooled down?
Yes.
I'd like to ask, after we've cooked and opened them up,
does using other chopsticks or spoons to eat them affect how they taste?
It actually doesn't.
But the most original way is to eat them directly from the leaves.
Just eat them directly, right?
I'm used to using a spoon to eat.
The dumplings taste best if they're hot when consumed, right?
The most important thing is that if it's a delicious dumpling and you eat it after it's cooled down, you'll be able to really taste it.
That's the best.
Oh, so if the dumpling is cold but still tastes great, that means it's a really good dumpling.
Yes.
Wow, that's great.
Okay, we'll get to eat dumplings in a while.
Ding Xiang said earlier that if a dumpling still tastes good after it's cold, that means it's a good dumpling.
This dumpling isn't very hot anymore, it's a little cold, so let's take a look at it.
I'm not doing an advertisement, but it's really fragrant.
Very, very fragrant. That's great.
It's also very solid.
It looks like this when you open it up.
It's very solid, right? Wow.
Cheers.
You can just take a bite like this.
Really?
There's also tea to drink. That's great.