An influencer from China has sparked laughter among Malaysians after hilariously mistaking the iconic nasi lemak for a rice dumpling in a viral Facebook video.
The influencer shared a video on her Facebook page detailing what she thought was a uniquely shaped rice dumpling she had purchased in Malaysia.
To her surprise, the “rice dumpling” turned out to be something entirely different.
A “nasi lemak dumpling”
In the video, the influencer can be seen unwrapping the nasi lemak banana leaf packet and exclaiming in shock, “So this is what’s inside!”.
She then described its contents, which included egg, sambal, and chicken, adding that it was spicier than she expected.
Unbeknownst to her, what she had stumbled upon was not a rice dumpling but Malaysia’s beloved national dish, nasi lemak.
For context, rice dumplings, or zongzi, are a traditional Chinese delicacy commonly eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival.
They are typically made by wrapping glutinous rice with fillings such as meat, beans, or egg yolk in bamboo leaves, forming a triangular or cylindrical shape, and then steaming or boiling them.
Netizen’s reaction
The video quickly went viral, sparking a wave of laughter and lighthearted comments from netizens.
Many found her confusion amusing, with one user joking that if the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan—associated with the origins of rice dumplings—saw the video, he might “come back to life out of sheer frustration.”
“This is not a Zongzi, this is nasi lemak!”
“What would you call this then?”
Watch the full video here:
