Special delicacies in spring

In Ningbo city of Zhejiang province, various seasonal delicacies and snacks made with fresh mugwort are particularly favored by local residents and tourists. The mugwort in early spring is tender and emits a unique fragrance.

After washed and cooked, the mugwort is kneaded into glutinous rice flour to make green dumplings (Qingjiao) or green balls (Qingtuan). People will make various fillings inside the dumplings. The fillings can be pickled mustard greens and shredded bamboo shoots, or sugar and sesame.

Mugwort cake

In Huangshan city, south of Anhui province, local people make a snack called mugwort cake every spring. Freshly picked mugwort is boiled in a pot, then poured into a mixture of glutinous rice flour and indica rice flour and stirred while hot. Then, the dough turns green.

Spring bamboo shoots, pickled vegetables, ham, and dried tofu are mixed and stir-fried, then wrapped in the green dough. After flattened, patted and steamed in a large pot over a firewood stove for 15 to 30 minutes, the mugwort cake is made.

Kiwi blossom and bud

In Yuxi city, central part of Yunnan province, the season for thinning and pruning kiwi buds and flowers has arrived. And it is also the time to cook delicious dishes using kiwi buds and flowers. The kiwi buds have a high germination rate, and excessive growth or crowding can waste the tree's nutrients. Therefore, only high-quality buds are left, and the useless ones are thinned out.

The left buds and flowers are not wasted and are turned into dishes of fresh taste as its flowers can fried with eggs, while buds can be stir-fried, boiled, or cold-dressed.

Source: Yunnan News; trans-editing by Wang Yunya