The first batch of qingtuan (green glutinous rice ball with stuffing) has already been on sale at Fengmen Hengjie Street葑门横街 of Suzhou after the week-long Spring Festival holiday. The price is basically the same as last year, which is around three yuan each.
With a history of over 1,000 years, qingtuan is a seasonal snack popular in the Yangtze River Delta during the springtime and a must-eat delicacy for Suzhou locals around annual Qingming Festival. As people’s living standard improves, qingtuan comes into the market earlier and earlier.
The color of the rice ball comes from green leaves, which are crushed to produce the green juice. Then knead the dough with the juice till it’s green, soft and sticky. Different places use different materials. For example, people in Suzhou use bromegrass to make this delicious food.
Zhengyi Qingtuan in Kunshan boasts a good reputation in Suzhou. Traditional stuffing of qingtuan in Zhengyi is sweet red bean paste or sesame paste, but so far more innovative flavors have been launched, such as five kernel (a filling consisting of five types of nuts and seeds), salted egg yolk with meat floss, and even chocolate.
