Tweaking the taste of spring

Traditional Qingming Festival snack gets makeover with novel stuffings, earning it appreciation beyond the Jiangnan region, Lin Shujuan reports.

Every year, from mid-March to early April, as the Qingming Festival approaches, Zhang Min's life revolves around the green glutinous rice balls known as qingtuan.

A native of Shanghai in her early 50s, Zhang previously ran a restaurant for over a decade. Thanks to her culinary expertise, she has garnered a loyal following on WeChat for her homemade seasonal delicacies, with qingtuan being one of her most sought-after treats.

The delicacy's shiny green exterior is made of glutinous rice flour mixed with freshly extracted green grass juice, and emits a delightful aroma. Typically, it contains stuffing like sweet red bean paste. First made about 1,000 years ago, qingtuan originated as a sacrificial offering and has evolved into a seasonal street snack popular in southern China during the annual Qingming Festival.