Juice of green plants Photo by Liu Zhen
People in Suzhou have the tradition of eating sweet green rice balls around the Tomb-sweeping Day which usually falls on April 5. The balls are made from a mixture of glutinous rice flour and green plant juice, and stuffed with sweetened bean paste or other fillings.
Mixture of glutinous rice flour and green plant juice Photo by Hu Xiaoli
The glutinous rice flour dough is kneaded into little green balls with various fillings, and then steamed.
Little green balls Photo by Liu Zhen
Steamed sweet green rice balls Photo by Hu Xiaoli
After the steaming, the balls are brushed with salad oil so that they will not stick together.
Sweet green rice balls brushed with oil Photo by Liu Zhen
Sweet green rice balls separated from each other Photo by Hu Xiaoli
The sweet green rice balls are jade-green in color, glutinous, sweet and sweet-scented. Both the color and the taste embody the features of spring.
People cutting wild grass to make green juice Photo by Liu Zhen
Juice squeezed out of the plants Photo by Liu Zhen
