Biggest Bak Chang Guide 2024 Singapore & Best Rice Dumplings for Dragonboat Festival

Dumpling Festival 2024, also known as Dragonboat Festival or Duan Wu Jie (端午节) in Chinese, will occur on the 10th of June 2024 – the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Although the Dumpling Festival is not a public holiday in Singapore, this is the time that families and friends come together to enjoy exquisitely handmade sticky rice dumplings or zongzi (粽子) or bak chang in the Hokkien dialect. Traditionally, there are 3 types of rice dumplings: 

• Nyonya – Often has a blue tip. The interior features minced meat.
• Hokkien – Juicier than the Nyonya rice dumpling due to the presence of pork belly brimming with fat. The juices get absorbed by the rice.
• Sweet – Filled with various beans, nuts, dates or simply just the sticky rice and nothing else. Also called kee chang. Vegetarian-friendly.

If you were to choose to buy your rice dumplings from hotels and Chinese restaurants, expect luxurious ingredients such as scallops, abalone and even duck. This year, a couple of outlets have introduced some unique flavors. Many of the bak chang listed below for Dumpling Festival 2024 are available not just for takeaway but also for delivery. Here is a list of the best rice dumplings being sold this year.

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InterContinental Singapore

*TOP PICK* Man Fu Yuan at InterContinental Singapore ushers in Dumpling Festival 2024 with a number of new flavors of rice dumplings including gift bundles encased in limited edition dumpling carriers. Making a return is the bestselling creation – Smoked Duck with Yunnan Black Gold Garlic Rice Dumpling ($23.90). This round dumpling features signature smoked duck and is shaped like garlic to symbolize the prized garlic within the dumpling. For traditionalists, perennial favorites – Traditional Hokkien Dumpling (S$23.90 for 300g) and XO Nonya Style Rice Dumpling (S$23.90 for 300g) work well as gifts or for self-consumption. For those seeking something new, the Nyonya Style Rice Dumpling with Plant Based Meat (S$23.90) and Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Red Bean, Honey Date and Red Date (S$20.90) are creations to watch out for.

Dates: Now until 10th June 2024

Order here (use promo code: IWANDER10 for 10% + extra 5% discount until 10th June)

Shangri-la Singapore

For Dragon Boat Festival 2024, Shangri-la Singapore presents a collection of rice dumplings comprising new flavors as well as bestsellers from previous years. Notable flavors include the Shang Palace Signature Barbecued Pork Rice Dumpling with Yunnan Ham and Conpoy (S$31.90), Traditional Nyonya Rice Dumpling (S$22.90) and the Truffle Pork Rice Dumpling with Salted Egg (S$23.90). These flavors are also available together as a set. The Shang Palace Rice Dumpling Gift Set (S$94.90) includes an assortment of 4 dumplings along with a bottle of shrimp sauce. 

Dates: Until 10th June 2024

Order here 

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

Kim Choo Kueh Chang (金珠肉粽) is one of the most popular places to shop for rice dumplings. They sell bak chang year-round in their main store at East Coast Road in Katong. Their products can be categorized roughly into Nyonya Chang where they have pork, vegetarian and chicken while their Salty Chang comes in salty egg, XO traditional and chili. 

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (up to 12% off)

Yuen Chen Siang

Those craving for rice dumplings from Malaysia – particularly Southern Malaysia – can now order them online for delivery straight to your doorstep. One of the popular brands that offer this service is Yuen Chen Siang (源珍香) which originates from Muar in Johor. Popular flavors include the Traditional Rice Dumpling (S$26.71 for 3), Red Bean Rice Dumpling (S$12.97) and Vegan Rice Dumpling (S$11.45 for 2). Those who have ordered the traditional dumpling in particular have noted the leaner cut of meat used. 

As these rice dumplings come from Malaysia, deliveries take about 1 week to arrive so plan ahead if you want it to reach you by Dumpling Festival.

Dates: Ongoing

Order here(free delivery with minimum order of S$15)

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay

This year’s selection from Peach Blossom at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay features four mouth-watering options – Premium XO Cantonese Rice Dumpling (S$58.48) featuring abalone, conpoy, and Kurobuta pork belly; Traditional ‘Hakka’ Kurobuta Pork Belly Rice Dumpling (S$30.43) with fermented bean curd, Japanese flower mushroom, dried shrimp, chestnut, and salted egg yolk; and Hokkaido Sweet Potato ‘Lava’ Rice Dumpling (S$21.08) with Hokkaido sweet potato custard in butterfly blue pea rice.

Dates: Now until 10th June 2024

Order here (15% off)

Joo Chiat Kim Choo

Joo Chiat Kim Choo traces its humble beginnings from a stall at 34 Joo Chiat Place in Katong, the epicenter of Nyonya culture in Singapore. The brand has now grown to become one of the top rice dumpling names in Singapore with its products selling briskly even outside the Dragonboat Festival. Its top sellers include the Rice Dumpling Bundle (from S$53.41 for 10pcs) which already includes mix and match of Nyonya, Salted, Salted with Egg Yolk and Cantonese Bean dumplings. For those who prefer the Nyonya style of dumplings, Joo Chiat Kim Choo also sells Nonya Rice Dumpling Bundle (from S$54.50 for 10).

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (S$8 delivery fee, free delivery with minimum spend of S$60)

Love Dumplings

Love Dumplings is a home-based business primarily selling rice dumplings. Having been financially affected by the pandemic, they started the business in mid-2020 to positive reviews, with customers coming back for repeat orders. Aside from their Kiam Bak Chang (starts from S$60 for 10pcs), they are also selling Mini Kee Chang (from S$30 for 10pcs). 

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (S$8 delivery fee, free delivery with min S$150 order)

Xiang Ye

Xiang Ye started over a decade ago with a modest store in Chai Chee and has now grown into one of the most popular outlets for rice dumplings or bak chang. They are known for their value-for-money proposition with a set of 10pcs going for as low as S$25 with choices such as Nyonya, Hokkien and Salted Egg. Customers can also mix and match up to 2 kinds (i.e. 5 pcs of each flavor for a set of 10).

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (S$3.99 delivery fee)

Hock Wong

Hock Wong presents 4 different flavors of bak chang for Rice Dumpling Festival 2024. This includes the Hokkien Bak Chang, Red Bean Bak Chang, Kee Chang and Salted Egg Hokkien Bak Chang. They dumplings are individually vacuum sealed and Hock Wong promises no MSG, preservatives or artificial flavors for their bak chang. For this year, the rice dumplings are being sold as combos with different numbers of a variety of these flavors, with 5 combos to choose from. 

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (free delivery with minimum order of S$50)

Tung Lok

Tung Lok is rolling out 4 types of rice dumplings for Dragon Boat Festival 2022. Highlights include their healthful Oat Rice Dumplings with Mushrooms (S$63.80 per bundle of 7), the sweet Honey Date Rice Dumplings (S$31.10 per bundle of 7), Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables Rice Dumplings (S$63.80 per bundle of 7) and XO Dumplings (S$67 per bundle of 7). Their rice dumplings are delivered frozen. They currrently have a promotion of buy 6 get 1 free. The quantities stated in the price are already inclusive of the 1 free dumpling per bundle.

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (free delivery with minimum order of S$100, S$8 delivery fee otherwise)

Yong Le Dumplings

Yong Le is a food manufacturer based in Jurong that specializes in various types of dumplings. For dragonboat festival, they are offering Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Dumplings (S$11 per bundle) which are delivered frozen. Each bundle consists of 2 pieces of dumplings and each dumpling weighs approximately 180 grams.

Dates: Ongoing

Order here (free delivery with minimum S$48 order) 

Raffles Hotel Singapore

yi by Jereme Leung celebrates Dragon Boat Festival with a trio of flavors – including two new rice dumplings. Making a return is the Traditional 12-Head Abalone and Preserved Meats Glutinous Rice Dumpling (S$49). Boasting an assortment of carefully created ingredients, this exquisitely crafted dumpling is enfolded together with 12-head abalone, Sakura Ebi shrimp, salted egg yolk, chestnut, lotus seeds and more.  The Yunnan Rose Petal Kee Chang with Raffles Signature Kaya Jam (S$28 for 5) is yì by Jereme Leung’s new variation of kee chang this year with the fragrance of rose petals complementing the hotel’s popular homemade kaya jam. Another new flavor is the Bak Kut Teh & Salted Egg Yolk Rice Dumpling (S$22) which possesses Malaysian-style pork ribs immersed in herbal and peppery bak kut teh broth.

Dates: Until 14th June 2024

Order here