Zongzi gets commercial makeover

Zongzi is the traditional holiday snack during the Dragon Boat Festival in China. But with new marketing trends shaping consumer habits more unconventional zongzi are showing up in some unexpected places.

Customers line up to get their hands on a traditional holiday snack. Every year the Dragon Boat Festival marks the time for zongzi.

"Eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese custom. I always give them to my family when I go back to my hometown." Shopper from Beijing said.

But while the tradition hasn't changed for thousands of years, the zongzi themselves have. With China's economic growth the once simple zongzi is undergoing a transformation of sorts. Traditionally an inexpensive blend of glutinous rice wrapped with bamboo leaves and a string, many zongzi today are elaborate and expensive. Retailers at Dao Xiang Cun say around 230 yuan, about $40, one of their priciest packages of zongzi was the first to sell out this year.

"We sell zongzi with fancy packaging. Companies often buy them to give to clients or employees." Said Zheng Xinuan, Retailer of Dao Xiang Cun, Beijing.

Furthermore, foreign companies have started marketing their own versions of zongzi and shaking up its appearance.

Starbucks is selling its own twist called Dragon Dumplings. With flavored fillings like Earl Grey tea and coffee almond, they're a far cry from their traditional counterpart. Even western hotel chains are hopping on the bandwagon. The Hilton in Beijing offers specialty zongzi as well.

Frances Huang, Marketing Executive of Hilton Beijing, said, "Our zongzi are quite popular. We have already sold thousands of them. If you say what makes our zongzi special I think first is the quality of our zongzi and second is they're all handcrafted and specially made for Hilton."

Huang says their customers want zongzi with a well-known brand name.