China News Service, Tongren, Guizhou, April 4th: "The Taste of Spring" at Qingming Festival
Author Zhou Yanling Liu Hanbin Han Jidan
During the Qingming Festival, people in Guizhou, located in southwest China, will make a festival-limited delicacy - Qingming cake. Its color is green, soft, waxy and fragrant, and its preparation is similar to that of Qingtuan. It is popular in southern China.
Qingming cuisine is an indispensable ingredient in Qingming cakes. Its scientific name is Squirtgrass, which has the effects of resolving phlegm, relieving cough, and dispelling wind and cold. Wu Qijun, a botanist from the Qing Dynasty, recorded in his book "An Illustrated Study of Plant Names and Facts" the custom of making rice dumplings with rat grass: "Rat grass is dyed with glutinous rice to make glutinous rice dumplings. The color is dark green, and porridge is available in the market in spring in central Hunan. Wuxi It is particularly important in the cave. It must be harvested during the Qingming Festival to commemorate the ancestors. It is called Qing. It means that after the relatives are gone, the spring grass will be green again. "
The picture shows freshly picked Qingming vegetables, whose scientific name is Squirrel sage. Photo by Liu Hanbin
The Five Streams in the book generally refer to the five major tributaries of the upper reaches of the Yuanshui River, which is now the area in western Hunan and eastern Guizhou. Qingming cabbage, which grows in the countryside, has slender stems and slender leaves. The whole body is covered with white spider-like hairs, and the tops of the young leaves hold pale yellow flower buds.
Before the Qingming Festival, Luo Yongbi, who lives in Sinan County, Tongren City, often carries baskets on her back with her husband to pick fresh Qingming vegetables. She has been making Qingming cakes for 25 years, not only to enjoy the gifts of spring, but also to express her longing for her deceased relatives.
Select the tender seedlings of Qingming vegetables picked back, wash them with clean water and put them in a pot to cook. After the color turns darker, let them cool and then "merge" them with glutinous rice flour and sticky rice flour.
"Qingming cake can be sweet or salty. The traditional fillings include sesame and peanut candy. Nowadays, spring vegetables, spring bamboo shoots, tofu, fresh meat, bacon, etc. can be matched." Luo Yongbi kneaded the light green dumplings one by one and put them in Various fillings, and then pinch the mouth tightly to retain the fragrance.
The picture shows the Qingming cake made by Luo Yongbi. Photo by Liu Hanbin
Qingming cakes with different fillings also come in different shapes, such as ingot-shaped, oval, triangular, etc. Place it in a steamer covered with leaves, wait for a while, and the fragrance and mist will permeate the whole house amidst the sound of gurgling boiling. The freshly baked Qingming cake is soft, glutinous and fragrant when you bite into it. If you let it cool and then fry it over low heat until golden brown on both sides, take a bite while it's still hot. It'll be crispy on the outside and waxy on the inside. Take a sip of the overflowing sugar filling, which will be hot and sweet.
At this time of year, the Qingming cake stuffed with spring bamboo shoots, dried tofu and fresh meat is the most delicious. The freshness of the spring bamboo shoots combined with the mellow aroma of the dried tofu makes it tender, crispy, refreshing and soft.
Chuncai bacon stuffing has another taste. Liu Wei, a "post-80s generation" who lives in Sinan County, is a fan of Qingming cakes. For him, the spring seasonal "famous" toon paired with bacon is the classic filling of Qingming cakes.
Fresh Chinese toon is baptized in boiling water, takes off its purple clothes, and cut into small pieces for later use. Add the diced fat and lean bacon into the pot and stir-fry until the fat is released. Add the Chinese toon and stir-fry over high heat. The collision of bacon and toona seems to be the fusion of winter and spring. "Smoked bacon paired with spring toon has a distinct flavor, but wrapped in Qingming cake, it feels like a breeze blowing on your face when you eat it. The taste is wonderful," Liu Wei said.
The picture shows Luo Yongbi, who lives in Sinan County, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, making Qingming cakes with various fillings. Photo by Liu Hanbin
Nowadays, there are many kinds of Qingming cakes in various places in Guizhou, depending on the fillings. After a century of history, this rural delicacy has become a seasonal snack and is often found in urban areas and scenic spots.
Relying on the express logistics that extends in all directions, the Qingming cakes produced by Luo Yongbi are sold to Beijing, Shanghai and other places every year. This traditional snack with the freshness of the mountains has entered the urban dining table to soothe the taste buds of young people working in foreign lands.
Zhang Qianxi, a Guizhou girl born after 1995 who studied in the UK, told reporters that what she misses most during the Qingming Festival is Qingming cake. A small bite, fragrant and soft, has the taste of spring and is full of childhood memories. (over)