Welcome the spring with Qingtuan, the iconic treat of the Qingming Festival. Revel in the verdant hues of renewal and taste the tradition with every bite of these mugwort-infused, red bean-filled delights. Join the celebration of Life and legacy.
When spring arrives, it’s like the world wakes up. The cold ice melts away, and little streams start to babble and flow. Green shoots push up through the earth, and trees begin to dress in buds and leaves. Flowers open up, adding splashes of color everywhere. It’s a time when everything feels fresh and new.
In this season of fresh starts, we celebrate the Qingming Festival in China. It’s a special day to remember our family members who have passed away and to enjoy the beauty of spring. And what better way to do that than with Qingtuan? These soft, green dumplings are filled with sweet red bean paste and taste just like the freshness of spring.
The Qingming Tapestry
Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a festival with over 2,500 years of history, rooted in the Zhou Dynasty. It’s a day when the Chinese honor their ancestors, tending to graves and offering sustenance for the afterlife. Qingming is not just about looking back; it’s a time to appreciate the renewal of life, as nature itself bursts into spring.
The tradition of Qingtuan began during Cold Food Day, a precursor to Qingming, where cooking was forbidden, and cold foods were consumed. This practice evolved, and Qingtuan, with its green hue from mugwort, became a symbol of the festival, embodying the awakening of the earth and the cycle of life.
When you take a bite of Qingtuan, you’ll notice how soft and chewy it is. The green dough, made with the fresh leaves of mugwort, has a fresh, mild scent that reminds you of spring plants. It’s not too strong, just enough to be pleasant. Inside, there’s a sweet red bean filling that’s creamy and just the right kind of sweet. Eating Qingtuan feels like a small celebration of spring—simple, tasty, and full of the season’s freshness.
In modern times, Qingtuan has undergone a creative transformation while still remaining a beloved treat during the Qingming Festival. These days, Qingtuan comes in an array of colors and flavors, far beyond the traditional green hue and red bean filling. Innovative variations include pink Qingtuan with strawberry and cream and even purple ones made from sweet potato.
You can find these colorful Qingtuan at well-known bakeries like Xing Hua Lou and Shen Dacheng in Shanghai, where they’re keen on introducing new flavors such as matcha and milk, or more adventurous ones like crayfish. The demand for these modern twists on the classic Qingtuan is so high that customers often queue up for hours to get their hands on them before they sell out, especially around the Qingming Festival.
Prices for Qingtuan can vary, but they typically range from 5-10 yuan (1-2 CAD). The friendly price made them a viral snack on the Chinese internet and a trend among the younger generation.
As the Qingming Festival draws near, I invite you to delve into the making of Qingtuan, to share in this legacy of remembrance. What stories do your family hold about this time-honored tradition? Join the conversation and let’s pass on the flame of history through the shared language of food.
"Keep the flavor fest going! Explore more 'Taste Journeys: Bites Across Borders' posts to satisfy your snack curiosity."
References
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Qingming Festival. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from Wikipedia.
Zhao, R. (2024, April 24). Qingming Festival 2025: What happens on Tomb Sweeping Day. China Highlights. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from China Highlights.
(n.d.). Qingming Festival Or Tomb Sweeping Day: All You Need To Know. China Scholar. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from China Scholar.
(n.d.). The Qingming Festival: A Journey Through Chinese Traditions and Ancestral Honor. Let’s Learn Chinese. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from Let’s Learn Chinese.
Zhang, M. (2021, April 5). Qingtuan, a traditional Chinese holiday food, gets a modern makeover. The China Project. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from The China Project.
(2024, March 29). Tweaking the taste of spring. China.org.cn. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from China.org.cn.
(2024, March 29). Tweaking the taste of spring. chinaculture.org. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from chinaculture.org.
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Qingtuan. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from Wikipedia.
(2024, April 4). The sweet Chinese dumpling that honors the dead. BBC. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from BBC.
(2023, April 6). Spring arrives with a flow of qingtuan sales. China.org.cn. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from China.org.cn.
Comments
Post a Comment