Qingtuan
Qīngtuán (青糰) is a form of dumpling that is green, common throughout Chinese cuisine. It is made of glutinous rice mixed with Chinese mugwort or barley grass. This is then usually filled with sweet red or black bean paste. The exact technique for making qingtuan is quite complicated and the grass involved is only edible in the early spring, so it is typically only available around the time of the Qingming Festival (April 4 or 5), with which the dumpling has become associated. Nowadays, Qīngtuán sold in most convenience stores in China are made of glutinous rice mixed with matcha. It also has more diverse fillings, such as Rousong or salted egg yolk.
| Qingtuan | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qingtuan, traditional Chinese food of the Qingming festival | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 青糰 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 青团 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | verdant lump | ||||||||
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Much of the qingtuan consumed in China is prepared and consumed as street food from local vendors.[1]
See also
- Kusa mochi, the Japanese form of this dish, flavored with Jersey cudweed
- Caozai guo, the Taiwanese form of this dish, flavored with Jersey cudweed
References
- Liu, Zat. "Shanghai food tour: Quest for the best qingtuan". CNN Travel, 31 Mar 2011. Accessed 6 Apr 2014.