Why do we eat Qingtuan? Is Qingtuan made of mugwort?

Qingtuan is a traditional snack eaten by people in the south of the Yangtze River during the Qingming Festival, but now its function as a sacrificial offering has faded, and it has become a seasonal snack. Some of the current Qingtuan are made with wheat straw, some with green wormwood juice, and some are made by pounding other green leafy vegetable juice with glutinous rice flour and then filling it with red bean paste.

Contents of this article

1. Why do we eat Qingtuan?

2. Is Qingtuan made of mugwort?

3. What is the best food to eat with Qingtuan?

Why eat Qingtuan

Eating Qingtuan is a kind of respect for Chinese traditional culture and a custom that has been passed down. Qingtuan is a traditional snack eaten by people in the Jiangnan region during the Qingming Festival. According to research, the name of Qingtuan dates back to the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,000 years.

Some of the current green rice dumplings are made with wheat straw, some with mugwort juice, and some are made by pounding other green leafy vegetable juice with glutinous rice flour and then using red bean paste as filling.

The function of Qingtuan as a sacrificial offering is becoming increasingly diluted, and it is more often used as a snack for spring outings.

Is Qingtuan made with mugwort?

Traditionally, Qingtuan is made by mixing mugwort juice with glutinous rice flour, and then wrapping it with red bean paste or lotus seed paste. Nowadays, some people use wheat straw, some use mugwort juice, and some use other green leafy vegetable juice and glutinous rice flour and then fill it with red bean paste.

Qingtuan is as green as jade, glutinous and soft, and is a natural green healthy snack. After steaming, the skin is green and soft, and the bean paste filling is sweet but not greasy, with a light aroma of wormwood, fragrant and delicious.

Qingtuan is a traditional snack eaten by people in the south of the Yangtze River during the Qingming Festival, but now its function as a sacrificial offering has become increasingly weak, and it has become a very seasonal snack.

What is the best thing to eat with Qingtuan?

It is best to eat Qingtuan with food that helps digestion. Qingtuan is made of glutinous rice, which will have a certain stickiness when eaten. It cannot be eaten with meat, which will make Qingtuan more difficult to digest. Qingtuan should be eaten with food that promotes digestion. When buying Qingtuan in the supermarket, choose those with a stronger flavor and a greener color. Such Qingtuan will taste better.