“Happy Cold Food Festival” isn’t something that you’ll be hearing today, but that’s exactly what today is. Cold Food Festival, or Hanshi Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday that started during the Zhou dynasty, where lighting any sort of fire, or even preparing food of any kind, is prohibited.
The origins of the holiday are morbid. It is believed that in 655 BC Jie Zhitui followed his prince into exile. The loyal servant entertained the prince with his poems and music. Years later, when the prince was back in power, he wanted to look after those who had helped him. But sadly he overlooked Jie. Disappointed, Jie retreated into the forests near Mt. Mian and remained in self-imposed exile.
When the prince realized his mistake he repeatedly sent envoys to lure Jie back to serve in his court, but, having no ambition for political power, Jie remained in silent seclusion.
In an act of annoyance, the prince ordered his solders to set fire to the forest where Jie lived, hoping to smoke him out. But instead, the fire burned Jie alive. It is said that when the fire finally went out, Jie’s charred corpse was found still standing, firmly embracing a tree.
To show his remorse, the prince renamed the mountain Mt. Jie, and the town where it lies Jiexiu, and created the first Cold Food Festival as a memorial period for the late Jie.
Years later, qingtuan, or mugwort mochi balls, became the official food of this holiday because they can last for days and do not need to be heated to be eaten.
To make qingtuan, you’ll need:
Filling
- Red Bean Paste
Dough
- Mugwort
- 200g Glutinous Rice Flour
- 80g Rice Flour
- 40g Corn Oil
- 30g Sugar
Directions:
- Boil the mugwort leaves until you have a nice green liquid. Measure out 200g of warm liquid and mix well with the glutinous rice flour, corn oil, and sugar
- Knead the dough until smooth, then divide it into 40g each for 12. Then roll them into balls. Set aside. Cover them with cling film to prevent dryness.
- Flatten the green sticky rice ball with your palm, and place the filling in the center. Seal it from the edge, and roll it into a ball. Repeat the same instruction for the rest.
- Bring water to boil in a steamer, and place the green sticky rice balls in it with parchment paper attached. Steam them for 20 minutes on high heat.
- Remove the sticky rice balls from the steamer and brush them with some corn oil. Let them cool down, then wrap each of them with cling film.
- Serve right away or wrap in cling film and store.
Images: Mina Yan
