The Green Dumpling

The green dumpling (青团)

The green dumpling (青团)

The green dumpling is a traditional food cooked for the Qingming Festival, which is also known as the Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day, in the southeastern China. It is made by glutinous rice, mugwort juice and stuffed with sweetened bean paste or sesame.

The tradition of the dim sum can be traced back to the Taipng Uprising (1850-1864) when a peasant rescued a high-ranking official from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which was established by the Taiping Army against the ruling Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). To send food to the official who was being pursued by Qing's Army, the peasant made green glutinous buns and hid them under the grass. The official found the smuggled food quite tasty and later ordered his army to learn how to cook it. The green dumpling has been popular in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces ever since, and it is an important, popular food in the Qingming Festival.