Dragon Boat Festival is fast approaching, and sticky rice dumplings, or zongzi, are everywhere. Today we celebrate a Changhua dumpling shop that''s been thriving for 25 years. The cozy shop is run by four older women, who together sell 2,000 dumplings a day. They also offer special tiny zongzi for folks with small appetites.

A delicious scent fills the room as soon as you open the steamer. This is what the customers come for.

For just a few coins, you can get a filling meal at this kitchen run by four older women. They’re masters in the art of rice dumplings, a.k.a. zongzi. Fried sticky rice is the base. Pork belly goes on top, enhanced by chickpeas. A classic zongzi is out of the steamer in less than a minute.

Ms. Yang
Dumpling maker
We have four people making dumplings every day. We can do about 2,000 a day like that. We often sell out.

Dumpling maker
I’ve been making zongzi for 20 or 30 years. Us old folk are just making some and having fun.

These affordable dumplings are sold in high volume at a low margin. But some of them are extra cheap because they’re so tiny – just a quarter of a typical zongzi. They don’t include the mushrooms, shrimp or bamboo shoots that big dumplings do. But for those who want a little bite-sized snack to keep them going, this little zongzi is just perfect.