As popular as they are, many Chinese dishes only appear on family tables once a year, in case of holidays or seasonal celebrations. As the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Cleaning Day, approaches in spring, one delicacy in particular begins to appear in supermarkets and bakeries across the country: qingtuan, a jade-colored sweet that commemorates the dead.
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“In Chinese culture, it’s very vital that, in all your life, you honor and don’t forget your ancestors,” said Lillian Luk, born and raised in Shanghai, founder of the short-lived Shanghai Supper Club in London. At the festival (which takes place on April 4 this year), people from all over China make pilgrimages to the burial places of their deceased loved ones to sweep graves, burn incense, and offer offerings.
Although tomb sweeping is still widely practiced today, Luk doesn’t forget to stop at the graves of his ancestors as a child. At the time, China was “coming out of the Cultural Revolution, so a lot of old customs were frowned upon,” he explained, adding that home was also economically and logistically complicated for most people at the time. Instead, Luk’s family worshipped their ancestors at home by lighting incense, offering them well wishes, and preparing dishes such as qingtuan.
These green dumplings are now popular in the country, but they originated in the coastal region of Jiangnan in eastern China, which includes Shanghai and parts of surrounding provinces such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Rice plantations thrive in this region, and the abundance of this crop explains the regional popularity of rice-based delicacies, from ci fan tuan (sticky rice that wraps the fried dough) to nuo mi o (lotus root stuffed with sticky rice).
Made from glutinous rice flour, qingtuan paste is emerald green in color due to the addition of mugwort, an aromatic herb that imparts an herbaceous aroma and is harvested in spring. “Mugwort also provides qingtuan with an attractive medicinal benefit. Their goal is to lower blood pressure,” said Luk, who now makes and sells these green treats at his pop-up restaurant in the run-up to the Qingming festival.
During the Qingming Festival, people visit the burial places of their deceased loved ones (China Photos/Getty Images)
Ideally, qingtuan can be ready ahead of time and stored at room temperature, something that once had practical significance. In China, many of the rituals of Tomb Cleansing Day have evolved from the festival of Hanshi, or Cold Food Day, to commemorate lost remains. the ones we enjoy. Because this observance forbade lighting any fire, even for cooking, other people could only eat food that they didn’t want to be heated, and qingtuan worked perfectly. Over time, the dish has become intertwined with memories of the deceased.
Over the past few years, Luk has detected the evolution of Qingtuan. It’s seen all sorts of new iterations, from green-dyed ravioli with mugwort matcha, to custard or sweet potato fillings. Luk recognizes the price of unforeseen flavor characteristics, especially to keep younger generations interested in this outdated tradition; However, its center still beats because of the kind I ate as a child, filled with creamy red bean paste. “I’m looking to go back to an earlier era, when things were done in an easier way,” he said. “Sometimes there’s an explanation for why something has been around for a long time. “
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For Luk, sharing his Qingtuan has become a way to introduce his fellow Londoners to a Christmas tradition little known outside of China. “It’s also a way for me to wave the flag of Shanghai cuisine,” he said, noting that cuisines from the Jiangnan region are not as identified as regional cuisines like Sichuan or Cantonese.
But the biggest benefit of launching your pop-up is one you didn’t expect: seeing your little ones excited and curious about the foods of your culture. “Somehow, I spun this thread that binds my children to my legacy, unintentionally. ” said Luk.
And the fact that the Qingtuan eat only once a year only makes their children more numerous.
Qingtuan paste is emerald due to the addition of mugwort, an aromatic herb (Imaginechina Limited/Alay)
Qingtuan RecipeBy Lillian Luk
Da 10 qingtuan
180 g (61/3 oz) sticky rice flour 50 g (13/4 oz) rice flour 43 g (11/2 oz) caster sugar 8 g (11/2 teaspoon) mugwort powder (wheatgrass or barley powder can be substituted) 185 g (61/2 oz) water 200 g (7 oz) pasty neutral bean oil, such as canola or grapeseed for topping
Method
Step 1In a medium bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar, and mugwort powder. Pour in the water and, using your hands, form a smooth paste. Divide the dough into 10 equivalent pieces of about 46g and set. apart.
Step 2Divide the bean paste into 10 balls and set aside.
Step 3. Roll a piece of dough into a ball, then press a hollow into it to shape it into a cup. Place a bean paste ball in the “cup” and pinch the dough closed. Gently roll the dough ball between your palms to shape it. A clean sphere. If cracks appear on the surface, dip a finger in water and gently rub the crack until smooth. Place the meatball on a heatproof plate. Repeat with remaining dough and bean paste.
Step 4Fill a medium saucepan with two inches of water, place a steamer rack inside, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, place the ravioli dish on the rack, and steam until the ravioli puffs up and becomes company and bright, 10 to 12 minutes.
Step 5: Carefully remove the dish and then use a pastry brush to lightly coat the dough ball with oil. Allow the dough balls to cool on the counter. Serve at room temperature. You can store the dough balls in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
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