The aroma of bamboo leaves, glutinous rice, and savory fillings fills the air as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, signaling the arrival of a beloved culinary tradition: bacang, or zongzi. These pyramid-shaped dumplings, wrapped in leaves and steamed to perfection, are more than just a delicious treat; they are a symbol of cultural heritage, family gatherings, and the commemoration of a legendary figure.

The Duanwu Festival, sometimes called the Dragon Boat Festival, is a colorful and culturally rich event that is celebrated across Asia, but especially in China. This annual celebration honors the life and demise of renowned Chinese scholar Qu Yuan and takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Numerous customary events are held in conjunction with the celebration, including the exhilarating dragon boat racing, the hanging of Zhong Kui symbols, and the sipping of realgar wine. In Indonesia, while the Dragon Boat Festival may not be celebrated with the same fanfare as in China, the love for bacang transcends borders. This delectable dish has found a special place in the hearts and palates of Indonesians, uniting diverse communities in a shared appreciation for its rich flavors and cultural significance.

Bacang Agiok

Nestled in Jakarta Barat, Bacang Agiok is one of the legendary places to enjoy bacang in Jakarta since it started in 2003. By having a couple of branches, people can now easily buy Bacang Agiok because they already opened in Mall Artha Gading, Pantjoran Extension PIK 2, and also Pasar Pluit. Bacang Agiok has varieties of flavors, some of which are regular pork rice bacang, regular chicken rice bacang, special pork rice bacang, regular chili chicken rice, special minced pork glutinous rice bacang, regular chicken glutinous rice bacang, and regular pork glutinous rice bacang.

Bacang Special Ny Lena

Bacang Special Ny Lena has become a favorite of many people. They serve regular bacang, special bacang, regular glutinous rice bacang, and special glutinous rice bacang with minced chicken, mushroom pieces, and salted egg yolk. Bacang Special Ny Lena is located in the Kebayoran Baru area, but they don’t open a place to eat there, so ordering is done online through the WhatsApp number on their Instagram page and must be ordered one day in advance.

Kopi Es Tak Kie

Apart from the coffee that is the mainstay of Kopi Es Tak Kie customers, they also sell bacang. There are two types of bacang in Kopi Es Tak Kie, which are chicken and pork. Other than those toppings, they also give mushrooms, salted egg, and mung beans. Although the center of Kopi Es Tak Kie is in Glodok, now Kopi Es Tak Kie has many branches, such as in Taman Anggrek Mall, Bintaro Xchange, Sarinah, and Gandaria City which are easily accessible to many people from several areas.

Maeve by BE

Maeve by BE offers bacang that you can order online. Maeve by BE is a place that provides delivery of bacang made into beautiful hampers, so it is perfect if you order it to send to others. Not only beautiful from the outside, the bacang made by Maeve by BE is also large and filled with many toppings that are beautifully arranged.

Pand'Or Food & Cakes

Maybe Pand’Or is famous for its cakes and cookies, but undoubtedly, Pand’Or’s bacang is one of the bacang that has been sold for a long time and is one of the top choices of people. Nestled in Wijaya, Jakarta Selatan, making it an easy place to reach. Their bacang is made with high-quality ingredients and served with an appetizing appearance, so it makes people want to buy it again.

Paradise Dynasty

Different from other bacang, the bacang offered at Paradise Dynasty is quite expensive because of its large size and different from the standard size of other bacang. Its large size means that not only is the rice generous, but the toppings are also plentiful. There are three flavors of bacang, which are Emperor Bakcang Pork with Abalone, Emperor Bakcang Original Pork & Emperor Bakcang Pork XO. The contents of Emperor Bakcang Pork with Abalone are rice, chestnut, lap cheong, meidou, shiitake mushroom, salted egg, and of course pork belly, and abalone.

Something Bakers

For the last place, Something Bakers only provides online ordering, but they can deliver out of town as well. They offer three flavors of bacang, which are Bakcang Polos (plain bacang), Bakcang Telur Jamur (egg and mushroom bacang), and Bakcang Spesial (special bacang). Customers can choose if they want rice or glutinous rice for their bacang. The contents of Bakcang Polos are rice or glutinous rice, minced chicken or minced pork, and chili. The contents of Bakcang Telur Jamur are rice or glutinous rice, minced chicken or minced pork, chili, salted egg, and shiitake mushroom. Lastly, the contents of Bakcang Spesial are ice or glutinous rice, minced chicken or minced pork, chili, salted egg, shiitake mushroom, sliced pork, and chestnut.