Qingtuan (Ai Ci) The Healthy Traditional Food of Chinese Qingming Festival Making Guide: Traditional Chinese Dessert with Health Benefits
Introduction: Qingtuan in Chinese Traditional Culture
The Qingming Festival is one of China's traditional holidays, not only a time for tomb-sweeping but also for enjoying seasonal foods. Qingtuan (Ai Ci), as the representative food of Qingming Festival, combines Chinese traditional culture, health wisdom and handicraft aesthetics. For Hakka people, Ai Ci is not just food but symbolizes family reunion and remembrance of ancestors.
If you love Chinese elements, traditional crafts, and health culture, the story of Qingtuan (Ai Ci) will surely fascinate you. Our website specializes in promoting Chinese-style products like woven bracelets, tea sets, embroidery, calligraphy, and sandalwood accessories, sharing the charm of Eastern culture with the world. Today, let's explore the culture, preparation methods, and modern adaptations of Qingtuan.
History and Cultural Significance of Qingtuan (Ai Ci)
1. Sacrifice and Reunion: Symbol of Qingming Festival
Qingtuan has been used as Qingming sacrificial offerings since ancient times, called Ai Ci or Ai Ban by Hakka people. Its green skin symbolizes the vitality of spring, while the fillings represent family reunion. Traditionally, families would gather to pick mugwort, pound rice, and wrap fillings together, embodying Chinese family harmony and heritage.
2. Health Benefits of Mugwort
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Mugwort leaves are bitter in taste, mildly warm in nature, and can treat all diseases." Consuming mugwort in spring helps remove dampness, dispel cold, and boost immunity. Hence the Hakka saying: "Eat Ai Ci around Qingming, stay healthy all year."
3. Chinese Elements and Traditional Craftsmanship
The making of Qingtuan itself is a traditional craft. From picking mugwort to kneading dough and wrapping fillings, each step embodies artisan spirit. Like the Chinese-style handicrafts we promote (such as woven bracelets, embroidery, and tea sets), they are all treasures of Chinese culture.
How to Make Qingtuan (Ai Ci)
1. Traditional Hakka Ai Ci Recipe
Ingredients
- Mugwort (fresh young leaves)
- Glutinous rice flour & rice flour (7:3 ratio for better texture)
- Fillings (peanut-sesame sugar, red bean paste, salted egg yolk with pork floss, etc.)
- Pomelo leaves/banana leaves (as base to prevent sticking and add fragrance)
Steps
- Pick mugwort leaves: Select young leaves, wash and blanch to remove bitterness (add baking soda to maintain green color).
- Make dough: Cook mugwort into paste and mix with glutinous rice flour to form smooth dough.
- Wrap fillings: Take small dough portions, wrap with peanut-sesame or savory fillings, shape into balls and place on pomelo leaves.
- Steam: Steam for 15-20 minutes after water boils, and the fragrant Ai Ci is ready!
2. Modern Variations
- Pan-fried Qingtuan: Crispy outside and soft inside, perfect for breakfast.
- Deep-fried Qingtuan: Golden and crispy, a festive specialty.
- Creative fillings: Molten custard, taro with pork floss to suit modern tastes.
Qingtuan (Ai Ci) and Chinese-Style Lifestyle Aesthetics
1. Blending Traditional Food with Modern Life
Qingtuan is not just food but a lifestyle. Pair it with Chinese tea sets for a pot of black tea, or light some sandalwood accessories to create an elegant ambiance, turning dining into a cultural experience.
2. Handicraft Heritage
Like our Chinese woven bracelets and embroidery art, Qingtuan making emphasizes handcrafted precision. Each Ai Ci carries the warmth of artisans, representing the essence of Chinese traditional culture.
3. Perfect Festival Gift
Hakka people often give Ai Ci to relatives and friends as blessings. Similarly, our Chinese-style gifts (like calligraphy works and tea sets) are excellent choices for expressing good wishes.
Conclusion: Sharing Chinese Traditional Culture with the World
Qingtuan (Ai Ci) is more than food - it's the perfect combination of Chinese seasonal culture, health wisdom, and craftsmanship. Just like the Chinese element products we promote (woven bracelets, tea sets, calligraphy, sandalwood accessories), they all tell Eastern stories in unique ways.
If this cultural charm appeals to you, welcome to explore our Chinese-style handicrafts and incorporate traditional aesthetics into your life!
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