Green rice balls (or qingtuan) came into the market in Suzhou soon after the Spring Festival holiday ended.
People in Suzhou eat seasonally. The seasonal snacks for early spring in Suzhou are the green rice balls. Green rice balls stores usually open at roughly 3am. Apart from regular customers, the stores also see many new faces this year since many non-locals have responded to the government’s call and stayed in the city during the Spring Festival holiday.
Facts about qingtuan
Green rice balls used to be the special snacks of the Tomb Sweeping Day in China. In the past people living in the Jiangnan Area made these green rice balls as sacrifices to their ancestors. Nowadays these rice balls come into the market earlier and earlier each year.
Why are these rice balls green?
Because the juice of green plants such as green vegetables, mugwort or green wheat is added into the glutinous rice flour.
Do green rice balls come in different flavors?
Green rice balls have both sweet and savory fillings. Sugary red bean paste is the most typical sweet filling while salted egg yolk is the most popular savory one. Apart from that, green rice balls stuffed with jujube paste and even chocolate are becoming more and more popular, too.
