What are the delicious foods for Qingming Festival

The traditional delicacies of Qingming Festival mainly include Qingtuan, Qingming Cake, Sanzi, Ai Cao Egg, Runbing Vegetable, etc. These foods not only carry folk culture, but are also closely related to spring health preservation.

Qingtuan is the most representative Qingming food in the south of the Yangtze River. It is made of wormwood juice and glutinous rice flour, and its outer skin is filled with bean paste or sesame seeds. Ai Cao has the effect of warming the meridians and dispelling coldness, while glutinous rice can nourish the middle and nourish qi, making it suitable for consumption in damp and cold spring weather. The fresh wormwood leaves need to be blanched to remove the bitterness, mashed to get the juice and kneaded with Rice noodles, and then steamed to show a unique green color. Qingming rice cake is popular in Fujian, Taiwan and other places. It looks similar to dumplings, and the skin is made with rat grass juice. The filling is often made with seasonal ingredients such as bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and minced meat. Rat grass has a heat clearing and detoxifying effect, and when paired with fresh bamboo shoots in spring, it can promote digestion. The traditional practice is to shape the rice cake into the shape of a longevity peach, symbolizing health and longevity. Sanzi is a fried noodle dish commonly consumed during the Qingming Festival in northern regions. Pan the noodles into a circular shape and deep fry until golden brown and crispy, rich in carbohydrates that can quickly replenish energy. During the ancient Cold Food Festival, when fire was prohibited, Sanzi was used as a cold food reserve and is now often consumed in combination with honey or powdered sugar.

Artemisia argyi eggs are a simple dietary therapy that involves boiling shelled eggs with Artemisia argyi. The volatile oil components of Artemisia argyi can penetrate into the eggs. Folklore believes that consuming it can dispel dampness and cold, and prevent spring colds. When cooking, it is necessary to wrap the eggs with fresh mugwort and simmer slowly over low heat to fully release the medicinal effects.

Runbing Cai is a specialty pancake in the southern Fujian region, which wraps more than ten types of ingredients such as carrot shreds, bean sprouts, oysters, etc. with thin dough. Rich dietary fiber and high-quality protein are in line with the dietary principles of nourishing the liver in spring. Dipping in sweet and spicy sauce during consumption adds flavor, combining nutrition and taste.

During Qingming Festival, it is important to pay attention to the freshness of ingredients and avoid excessive consumption of glutinous rice products such as green balls to prevent indigestion. Wormwood food should be used with caution by pregnant women, and sweet stuffing intake should be controlled by patients with diabetes. Suggest pairing with heat clearing drinks such as chrysanthemum tea and green tea, and taking a walk after meals to promote digestion. Traditional festival cuisine can be tasted in moderation, but more attention should be paid to balanced diet.