For expats in Shanghai looking to immerse themselves in local Dragon Boat Festival traditions, trying popular zongzi brands is a must.

Zongzi are pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The delectable treats offer a spectrum of flavors, ranging from sweet to salty, with a diverse array of fillings.

Here is a comprehensive guide to some of Shanghai's renowned brands and their unique zongzi offerings:

Wu Fang Zhai

As one of the most widely known zongzi brands across the country, Wu Fang Zhai is a great choice for people who are seeking both quality at reasonable prices.

At any outlet established by Wu Fang Zhai, a business originating from Jiaxing, a city bordering Shanghai to the east, you can find zongzi with a variety of fillings, including pork, bean paste and date, all crafted to captivate your taste buds and senses, courtesy of top-tier ingredients.

Multiple addresses include: 

No 1100 Lujiabang Road, Huangpu district

Room 106, No 662 Yuanjing Road, Putuo district

No 2095 Zhangyang Road, Pudong New Area

Xing Hua Lou

For those searching for something more delicate, do not overlook the zongzi crafted by Xing Hua Lou. If you've ever wondered about the possibilities for zongzi fillings, the answer provided by the Guangdong-style restaurant is boundless.

Among its standout creations is the zongzi filled with a combination of red bean paste and rose petals, offering a subtle sweetness intertwined with a delicate rose fragrance.

Another must-try is a zongzi often compared to labor-intensive Fujian dish Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, thanks to its rich fillings including mung beans, mushrooms, shrimp, scallops, pork belly, salted egg yolk, duck and chicken.

Multiple addresses include: 

No 1596 Changning Road, Changning district

No 242 Jiangchuan Road, Minhang district

No 2739 Pingliang Road, Yangpu district

Wang Jia Sha

Have you ever struggled to choose between date and red bean when picking sweet zongzi? Here's the good news: you can have both. Wang Jia Sha offers zongzi with both of the ingredients to give consumers a double dose of sweetness.

Other types of zongzi options provided by the Shanghai eatery include extra-large pork zongzi and braised beef zongzi. The former allows you to enjoy pork in every bite and the latter challenges your imagination of both zongzi and beef.

Multiple addresses include:

No 673 Wanhangdu Road, Jing'an district

No 3-127, Lane 361, Yuyuan Road, Jing'an district

No 1535 West Beijing Road, Jing'an district

Shao Wan Sheng

In Shanghai, nearly all food can be marinated in zaolu, which is made from grain dregs left over after rice wine is distilled, and zongzi is no exception. In Shao Wan Sheng, the new pork dumpling with marinated sausage has gained the favor of discerning Shanghai eaters, and you will regret not trying it at the snack bar during this year's Dragon Boat Festival.

Multiple addresses include: 

1F, No 1321 Changdao Road, Pudong New Area

No 23 Qihe Road, Pudong New Area

No 50 Dahua Road Number Two, Baoshan district

Shen Da Cheng

Can you combine fermented bean curd, a common sight on the dining tables of Shanghai residents, with zongzi? Shen Da Cheng has seamlessly integrated the two by crafting zongzi filled with fermented bean curd and pork, a product whose sales volume makes up half of the brand's total. Unwrapping the leaves, food enthusiasts will be enticed by its golden-brown hue, signaling that each grain of rice is bursting with flavor.

Multiple addresses include: 

No 636 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu district

Room A, No 431 Hangzhong Road, Pudong New Area

No 287 East Zhongshan Road Number One, Huangpu district

Godly

Zongzi served at Godly, a restaurant with a history spanning over a century in Shanghai, is another excellent choice.

One of its signature offerings is the mushroom-filled zongzi, which strikes a balance between health and taste, offering consumers an opportunity to indulge in natural flavors. You may also try Godly's chestnut and date-filled zongzi, renowned for its delightful taste that is certain to uplift your day.

Multiple addresses include: 

No 303 Wuyuan Road, Xuhui district

No 97 Wukang Road, Xuhui district

No 82 Wuyuan Road, Xuhui district

Longhua Suzhai

Enveloped in lush green bamboo leaves, Longhua Suzhai's vegetarian zongzi capture over 1,700 years of traditional flavors. Each bite is a fragrant delight, a testament to the millennia-old artisanal craftsmanship that has earned this delicacy the honor of being a Shanghai intangible cultural heritage. 

Addresses: Ranxiang Building, No 2787 Longhua Road, Xuhui district; No 855 Jinglian Road, Xuhui district

Zhang Xiaomei Zongzi

Zhang Xiaomei Zongzi is a must-try restaurant for its traditional and secret recipes. Their signature large meat zongzi is the pride of the shop and has won numerous awards. Slowly unwrap the aromatic bamboo leaves to reveal a glossy, mouth-watering zongzi that is simply irresistible!

Addresses: No 151 North Jiangchuan Road, Songjiang district; Building 15, No 2 Lane 3088, Guangfulin Road (Guangfulin Branch), Songjiang district

Miao's Zongzi Specialty Store

The streaky pork zongzi is a perfect blend of lean and fatty meat, making it truly delicious. As Dragon Boat Festival approaches, this place sees long queues, a testament to its popularity. If you haven't tried it yet, now is the perfect time!

Address: No 2058 Pingliang Road, Yangpu district

Lufang Zongzi King

Nestled in the alleys of Middle Fuxing Road, Lufang Zongzi King is known for their large fresh meat zongzi, with a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat. The fat melts into the glutinous rice when heated, making the rice exceptionally flavorful and setting it apart from others. 

Addresses: No 488 Middle Fuxing Road, Huangpu district (Fuxing Middle Road Store); No 111 East Nandan Road, Xuhui district (Xuhui Store); No 621 Gonghe New Road, Jing'an district (Gonghe New Road Store)

Guangli Zongzi

Guangli Zongzi uses a custom-made large steamer and an old broth without any added seasonings to create their delicious zongzi. The zongzi simmer for one hour and then are steamed for three hours using traditional methods. The result is a fragrant, delicious, and perfectly textured zongzi. 

Additionally, the shop features a variety of zongzi flavors, including white sugar and osmanthus bean paste, red bean and honey date, and black glutinous rice with chestnut.

Address: No 155 North Jiangchuan Road, Songjiang district

Sunya Cantonese Restaurant

This year, Sunya Cantonese Restaurant introduced its new extra-large double yolk pork zongzi. The blend of glutinous rice and pork is rich, but not greasy, leaving a lingering taste on the palate. In addition to this new offering, they also have black rice sweet bean paste zongzi, purple rice eight treasures zongzi, fresh meat egg yolk zongzi, and red bean paste zongzi available!

Address: No 719 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu district

 

Sources: "shanghaifabu" "shanghaitourism" WeChat accounts, official WeChat accounts of above-mentioned establishments