Describe a kind of food people eat on a special event.
what it is;
why people eat it;
how it is cooked;
and explain why you like it.

I’d like to talk about zongzi which is a traditional food in China. We usually eat it in Dragon Boat Festival.

It is said hundreds of years ago, a man named Quyuan, he drowned himself as a protest against being falsely accused of treason. To protect his corpse from being eaten by fish in the river, people casted zongzi into the river. This custom has been passed on generation by generation, and now we eat zongzi to celebrate this festival.
As to how it cooked, if I remember clearly, people use leaves to wrap sticky rice which is mixed with meat, red dates or egg yolk. Then put all the zongzi into the pot with enough water to steam about 30 minutes. It seems very easy to cook, but it’s hard to learn how to wrap the rice perfectly.
Every time my grandma cooked zongzi, I always eat as many as possible. Because only when I was a little girl/boy, I had the chance to eat zongzi cooked by my grandma. Now she has passed away and I can’t eat anymore. For me, zongzi is not only a traditional Chinese food, it only can help remind me of my grandma and her love for me.

Part 3

Do Chinese have some special food in special festival? Why it’s so special?
Of course. As I said, we eat zongzi(rice dumplings) in Dragon Boat Festival in memory of Quyuan and we eat mooncake to celebrate Middle Autumn Festival because it is the symbol of reunion.

When do you eat special food?
Generally on some special occasions we will eat special food. For example, we will eat zongzi in Dragon Boat Festival in memory of Quyuan and we eat mooncake to celebrate Middle Autumn Festival because it is the symbol of reunion.

Does people has to pay a lot of money on food in some special occasion?
I think so. Taking Spring Festival as an example, Chinese always cook much and there are various kinds of food, such as pork, fish, beef, and many other vegetables. They think the more dishes you have, the richer the family is and in the next year, this family will get good luck. So they are willing to spend much money on food.

Why rich people like to eat some special food?
I guess special food can show their wealth and uniqueness. Sometimes special food are expensive because of its rarity and the average people can’t afford.

Do you think foods are much better than before?
Yes. Compared with the past, we can have a larger variety of food and the food are fresher than before. For example, we can have seasonal vegetables and fruits. And people have more time and money to spend on food.They care more about nutrition and taste.

How often do you have meal with your family?
Well, seldom. Because I don’t live in the same city with my parents, so only when I go home will I eat with them.
But I always miss the food my mother cooks.

Do you think it’s important to have family meals?
Of course. I always enjoy eating with families because I can not only eat the food cooked by my mom, but also chat with them and share my experience with them.

Have you cook at home?
Never. Because I don’t know how to cook. Besides, I have to work and study at the same time, so I have little time to cook by myself. By the way, in China, takeout is very convenient. I can choose everything I like and it will be delivered in a short time.