Kaimuki nonprofit makes zongzhi or joong to raise COVID-19 relief funds for Asia

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Vegan zongzi are hung to dry after the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Eleven-year-old Sophie Kaiser, left, measures vegan ingredients to make zongzi at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Various ingredients for vegan zongzi are seen at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Lora Tran dries bamboo leaves to ready them for zongzi at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Lora Tran secures a bamboo leaf-wrapped zongzi at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Zongzi are secured with twine prior to steaming at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Eleven-year-old Sophie Kaiser, right, shares a laugh with her mother, Josephine, while making zongzi at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

2021 June 12 - Honolulu Star-Advertiser photo by Jamm Aquino/jaquino@staradvertiser.com Sixteen-year-old Rachael Wang secures zongzi with twine prior to the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, 2021, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts -- held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. This year's festival is Monday (June 14). The fundraiser was conceived about two weeks ago and all the elements -- including buying 100 pounds of glutinous rice and teaching an army of volunteers the wrapping technique -- were brought together in that time. The bundles sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Sixteen-year-olds Rachael Wang, left, and Eileen Liu secure zongzi with twine prior to the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Zongzi are secured with twine prior to steaming at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Sixteen-year-olds Rachael Wang, left, and Eileen Liu secure zongzi with twine prior to the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Vegan zongzi hang to dry after the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Vegan zongzi hang to dry after the steaming process at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation on Saturday, June 12, in Kaimuki. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a nonprofit educational and community service organization in Kaimuki, produced 1,000 bundles of zongzi on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Asia, including hard-hit India. Zongzi is another name for joong, a Chinatown favorite made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, often filled with an egg and a chunk of pork. The Tzu Chi version is vegan, with a filling of chestnuts, mushrooms, daikon, black-eyed peas, tofu and peanuts — held together with a three-part mixture of rice (glutinous, black and multigrain). Zongzi is commonly made to celebrate the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held Monday, June 14. The bundles are sold for $4 each, mostly to the foundation's membership.