Well-steamed qingtuan. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
With the arrival of spring, people in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, cannot wait to enjoy the seasonal delicacy qingtuan, or sweet green rice balls.
Wuxi natives call it "tasting spring" when they eat qingtuan for the first time of the year. With the soft taste and a faint fragrance of mugwort, it is a dish that is impossible to resist.
Qingtuan filled with red bean paste. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
Making qingtuan involves making flour dough, putting filling inside, and then shaping and loading the finished raw qingtuan into steaming baskets.
Qingtuan filled with salted egg yolk mixed with dried meat floss. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
Wuxi is also famous for its Sanrang glutinous rice balls, which have three different fillings – meat, red bean paste, and sesame. The rice balls are made to commemorate the story of "Taibo San Rang", in which a prince named Taibo is praised for his nobility and humility in giving away his crown to his younger brother three times.
The most popular shops in Wuxi for qingtuan are Sanfengqiao and Muguiying. It is only available in spring, so don't miss out.
