5th of April is Qingming Festival. While traveling in Suzhou, don’t miss out on the local seasonal delicacies!
Qingtuan
Qingtuan, or green glutinous rice ball with stuffing, is made by crushing green leaves, to produce green juice, and then kneading the dough with the juice and fillings such as pork, meat floss, bean paste, and chocolate.
Recommendations: Shenji Qingtuan沈记青团, Wen Kui Zhai文魁斋
Fermented Rice Wine Pancake
By filling the fermented dough with red bean paste or lard paste and baking it, the pancakes made are giving off a fragrance of wine. They have golden and crisp skin, as well as soft and sweet texture. It is customary for people in Jiangnan to eat the pancakes at the beginning of spring.
Recommendations: Cai Zhi Zhai采芝斋, Ye Shou He叶受和, The Shop of Lin林家铺子
Malt Pancake
Chop the boiled green herbal leaves and mix it with rice powder and malt powder, the fragrance of grass unique to the pancake is thus produced.
Recommendation: The Shop of Lin林家铺子
Pine Pollen Rice Cake
Pine pollen is a traditional Chinese medicinal material and is light yellow. The special rice cake is made by sprinkling pine pollen on dough containing sesame and sugar. Don’t rush to eat it after it is out of the stove. Wait till it’s slightly warm, when the sesame and sugar have melted and the cake is al dente and has the taste of pines.
Recommendations: Jin Shui Lou近水楼, Ming Yue Lou明月楼