People in different regions of China consume different foods on the day according to local customs on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Here are seven traditional foods people eat on the special day.
Green rice ball
Green rice balls, are widely consumed in China’s Jiangnan area-the region south of the Yangtze River. The seasonal delicacies are usually made from glutinous rice mixed with pounded mugwort—an edible wild herb thought to prevent toxic insect bites.
Sanzi
In both northern and southern China, it is an age-old tradition to eat sanzi, or fried dough twists. However, the sanzi in North and South China are different from each other in terms of size and material. Northern people prefer larger ones made from wheat, while people in the south enjoy smaller ones made from rice.
Thin pancake
The thin pancake is a popular food for people in Xiamen in Southeast China’s Fujian province. To make it tastier, they usually add dried seaweed, omelet, veggies and chili sauce to the pancake.
Spring onion and omelet
In Qingdao in East China’s Shandong province people eat spring onion and omelet. They believe the special combination helps improve eyesight and makes eyes brighter. In ancient times, pupils often sent eggs to their teachers to show respect on the day.
Steamed rice with leaf mustard
In many places in Southeast China’s Fujian province, people thought eating steamed rice with leaf mustard could help prevent scabies and other skin diseases for the whole year.
Zitui bun
This steamed bun is named after Jie Zitui, a famous hermit of the Spring and Autumn Period(770-476BC). People in Shanxi province have a tradition of eating the bun. Colorful dough animals and flowers are frequent decorations, while eggs and jujubes are added inside to increase sweetness.
Ai ban
To Hakka people in China, ai ban, or dumplings made from wormwood and rice, are a festival must-eat made by blending wormwood paste and glutinous rice powder together. They also feature peanuts and black-eyed beans for a more diversified flavor. After steaming the dumplings for15-20minutes, the food is ready to serve.
【小题1】What is special about sanzi?| A．People in South China prefer sanzi made from wheat. |
| B．The sanzi varies in different places. |
| C．People in North China prefer smaller size of sanzi. |
| D．It is only accessible on Tom-Sweeping Day. |
| A．Green rice ball and ai ban | B．Sanzi and ai ban |
| C．Thin pancake and Zitui bun | D．Spring onion and omelet and ai ban |
| A．Colorful flowers | B．Dough eggs | C．Dough animals | D．Jujubes |
