1. Green dumplings
In Jiangnan area, Tomb-Sweeping Day has the custom of eating green dumplings. "Green dumplings" is a round food made of glutinous rice flour mixed with the juice of the unique wild plant "Pulp Wheat Straw" in the south of the Yangtze River. To make green jiaozi glutinous rice flour, it must be milled to highlight its delicacy. Green dumplings are similar to steamed buns, and the stuffing used is mostly sugar bean paste. Wrap it and steam it in a pot. Before cooking, every green jiaozi should be coated with cooked vegetable oil. The green dumplings in the dish are as green as jade, shiny and pleasing to the eye, so the "green dumplings" are named after their color and shape.
This dietary custom can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty more than two thousand years ago. Green as jade, soft and glutinous, and green glutinous rice balls are sweet but not greasy, which is a necessary food for people in the south of the Yangtze River to sacrifice their ancestors during Qingming and Cold Food Festival. It is not only delicious, but also beneficial to people's health, and also implies people's good expectations for life, hoping that their families can be happy and healthy and live a long life.
2. Aizan
Aizan, also known as Qingming Zan, is a special snack in the Qingming period in Hakka area and a unique Qingming culture in Hakka. Wormwood, with soft and waxy skin, has the unique fragrance of wormwood, and is filled with traditional peanuts and sesame seeds, which is more fragrant, nutritious and healthy, and can be eaten by adults and children.
There is a saying in Hakka that "Tomb-Sweeping Day eats mugs before and after, and it doesn't hurt all year round", which means that mugs have the effect of eliminating dampness and invigorating qi, and it is also a good wish of Hakka people. Eating mugs will keep you healthy all year round.
(hen's) egg
According to folk custom, Tomb-Sweeping Day has good health all year round after eating an egg. Tomb-Sweeping Day's eating eggs originated from the custom of forbidding fire in some areas in the pre-Qin period, and forbidding eating cold food for many days. Hard-boiled eggs are the best food reserves to survive this period. Tomb-Sweeping Day can eat eggs to play on this day, which can be roughly divided into two types, one is "painting eggs" and the other is "carving eggs". Painted eggs can be eaten; And "carving eggs" is just for enjoyment.
4. jujube cake
In some areas in the north, you will eat jujube cakes in Tomb-Sweeping Day. Jujube cake, also known as purple leg cake, is a traditional characteristic food. It is made of fermented wine, then steamed with red dates, with many nuts and dried fruits on it, which tastes sour and sweet. Because cakes are homophonic, Tomb-Sweeping Day eats jujube cakes, which means a better life and a peaceful reunion. Tomb-Sweeping Day is coming, and many families will make jujube cakes together.
5. Zifu
Jinzhong area still retains the habit of banning fire the day before Qingming. In many places, after the sacrificial ceremony is completed, food will be sacrificed. When people in southern Shanxi crossed Tomb-Sweeping Day, they used to steam big steamed buns with white flour, with walnuts, dates and beans in the middle, coiled into dragons outside, and an egg tied in the middle of the dragon's body, named "Zifu". It is necessary to steam a big "blessing" to symbolize family reunion and happiness. When going to the grave, the "Zifu" is usually dedicated to the ancestors and shared by the whole family after sweeping the grave.
Due to the regional differences and local customs in Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Qingming food customs will naturally be different, mainly based on the habits of local people.