Shell Ginger

DESCRIPTION:

The leaves of shell ginger are a traditional wrapping of the famous Taiwanese rice dumpling (Zhong Zi). Every year, millions of people around Taiwan celebrate Dragon boat festival with these 3D, triangular dumplings. Ingredients vary vastly but often are made from a sticky rice with meat, vegetables and some spices inside. The inner meat and vegetable recipe is wrapped roughly in the sticky rice and the leaves of shell ginger, or sometimes bamboo, are wrapped around the rice and steamed. After cooking the rice dumpling can be stored for quite a long time as the steam has sterilized it. It is not uncommon prior to, and during, Dragon Boat Festival to see people preparing and hanging the rice dumplings everywhere. This is truly an interesting and delicious dish. With the best eco-wrapper available: Leaves!

BOTANICAL NAME:

Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B. L. Burtt & R. M. Sm.

FAMILY: Zingiberaceae

INGREDIENTS:

Shell ginger

CUISINE TYPES:

Taiwanese: Used extensively amongst the aboriginal communities in Taiwan. Fresh and dried leaves are used island-wide as a wrapping for the Rice Dumpling prepared especially during dragon boat festival.

FLAVOR:

Slightly menthol, cardamom, medicinal

AVAILABILITY:

Fresh Leaves: Year round

Fresh Flowers: Harvest summer. While supplies last. Can dry on request.

Dried Fruit: Harvest June-October. While supplies last.

Powdered Rhizome: Year round

PRODUCTION STYLE:

Grown on a polyculture farm without spray or wild harvested. Hand harvested and machine dried.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Taiwan, Taidong

EST. SHELF LIFE:

Fresh Leaves: 1-3 weeks. Can be dried easily.

Fresh Flowers: 1 week. Refrigerate.

Dried Fruit: 2 Years

Powdered Rhizome: 2 Years

RELATED INFO:

SHIPPING METHODS:

Taiwan Shipping: 1-3 Day Postal Service, Black Cat and 7-11. Next day refrigerated and frozen delivery available door-to-door or to 7-11.

International Shipping Options: Postal Service (1-3 week air mail), EMS, Courier (DHL & FedEx), Air Freight (wholesale). Fresh produce unavailable outside of Taiwan.

Please see our Ordering Information Page for more information.

PACKAGING TYPES: