Qingtuan: Tastes of spring set mouths watering

With Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, approaching, customers in Shanghai have rushed to buy Qingtuan, a green glutinous rice ball that is a popular spring dessert for Shanghainese and those from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Qingtuan is usually made from glutinous rice mixed with pounded mugwort, an edible wild herb thought to prevent toxic insect bites.

The leaves of the mugwort are crushed into juice that is used to soak the rice dough, giving the snack its distinctive green hue.

While the most common fillings are red bean paste and black sesame paste, some time-honored brands also introduce new stuffing, such as black truffle, shrimp, abalone, beef, and butter this year.