How Many Calories in Zha Leung (Rice Roll with Fried Dough Stick)?
Also known as 炸兩, Zha Leung, Cheung Fun with You Tiao, Fried Dough Rice Roll, 炸両.
Zha leung is a you tiao (fried dough stick) rolled inside a thin sheet of steamed rice noodle, cut in two, and dressed with sweet soy, sesame and sometimes hoisin. Congee shops sell it as the side to a bowl of congee for HK$16 to HK$24.
450kcal / 1 plate (2 pieces)
One plate of zha leung, about 200g, is around 450 calories, based on the Centre for Food Safety figure of 230 kcal per 100g. Roughly 230 of that is the fried dough stick, 140 is the rice roll, and the sauces and sesame oil add the rest. Fat is around 23g, nearly all from the you tiao.
Nutrition facts
Per 1 plate (2 pieces) (200g)
Amount
Per 100g
Calories
450 kcal
225 kcal
Protein
8 g
4 g
Carbs
52 g
26 g
Fat
23 g
12 g
Where the calories come from
You tiao (fried dough stick)60g
230 kcal
Steamed rice roll sheet110g
140 kcal
Sweet soy, sesame oil, sesame seeds, hoisin30g
80 kcal
The real talk
Zha leung looks like a light dim sum plate and is not. The rice roll on the outside is steamed and about 130 calories per 100g, but the dough stick inside is deep fried and roughly 380 per 100g. Wrapping one in the other does not dilute anything. CFS lists the finished dish at 230 calories per 100g with 12g of fat, which is about the same density as a slice of pizza, and a plate is a third of a day's fat.
Where it hurts is the pairing. Almost nobody eats zha leung alone; it is the side to congee. A bowl of century egg and lean pork congee is 260 calories. Add a plate of zha leung and breakfast is 710. Add a hot milk tea and it is 820. The congee was the smart part of that order. A plain steamed rice roll with soy (齋腸) instead of zha leung is about 130 calories and gets you most of the texture.
The sauces are not free either. Congee shops finish zha leung with sweet soy, sesame oil, sesame seeds and often a squeeze of hoisin and peanut sauce. That dressing is 60 to 80 calories on top of the fried dough. Sodium is around 480mg per 100g in the CFS figure, so a plate is close to 1,000mg before the soy in your congee counts. It is a once a week breakfast, not a daily one.
How the portions compare
225 kcal
One piece (half plate)
450 kcal
Standard plate, 2 pieces (200g)
820 kcal
Plate with congee and milk tea
Zha Leung (Rice Roll with Fried Dough Stick) variants, ranked by calories
Variant
Calories
Notes
Plain rice roll with soy (齋腸)
130 kcal
No dough stick
Plain you tiao, one stick
270 kcal
No rice roll
Zha leung
450 kcal
Standard plate
Zha leung with extra peanut and hoisin sauce
520 kcal
Dim sum restaurant style
How to eat it lighter
Order plain rice roll (齋腸) with your congee instead. About 130 calories versus 450.
Share the plate. One piece of zha leung is 225 calories, still a snack rather than a meal.
Ask for less sauce (少醬). The dressing is 60 to 80 calories and a lot of sodium.
If you want the crunch, half a plain you tiao dipped in congee is about 135 calories, less than a full zha leung piece.
Common questions
How many calories in zha leung?
About 450 calories for a standard two piece plate, based on the Centre for Food Safety figure of 230 kcal per 100g. One piece is around 225.
Is zha leung or plain cheung fun healthier?
Plain rice roll by a wide margin: about 130 calories a plate versus 450 for zha leung. The fried dough stick inside is what adds the 300 difference.
What is zha leung made of?
A deep fried dough stick (you tiao, about 230 calories) wrapped in a sheet of steamed rice noodle (about 140), dressed with sweet soy and sesame.
Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical cha chaan teng, dai pai dong or dim sum serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.
Calorie figure based on Centre for Food Safety Hong Kong Nutrient Information Inquiry System via Bowtie (230 kcal, 12g fat, 480mg sodium per 100g); plate weight estimated at 200g. Macros estimated from the ingredients.