Qingtuan Kian Laris, Traditional Chinese Cake This Survives with New Flavors

JAKARTA - Qingtuan, a typical green cake of the Qingming Festival in China, is no longer just a seasonal food that is attached to family memories. The traditional snack from the Jiangnan region is now increasingly popular in the national market, driven by new flavors, retail sales, and social media.

China Daily quoted Friday, April 10, reported that qingtuan made from glutinous rice and given a green color from mugwort leaves or other spring plants, remains strong as part of the Qingming tradition or Tomb Sweeping Day. However, in recent years, this food has also evolved into a seasonal product that consumers are looking for.

The change is reflected in the habits of buyers. Huang Yu, 37, from Zhejiang who now lives in Beijing, said he still buys qingtuan every year before Qingming. In the past, his family made qingtuan at home after picking mugwort leaves in the field. Now, he often buys qingtuan that has been sold in supermarkets.

In the market, the choices are also increasing. On the Xiaohongshu platform, content tagged with qingtuan has been watched hundreds of millions of times. On Douyin, qingtuan-related videos exceed billions of views. New flavor variants, brand collaborations, to qingtuan-themed drinks also contribute to its popularity.

At a fresh supermarket chain in Beijing, qingtuan goes on sale about a month before Qingming. Ge Lijuan, in charge of the ready-to-eat food section, said this year her store sold more than 10 varieties, ranging from traditional flavors such as red bean paste and salted vegetables, to new flavors such as Thai-style salted cheese, black sesame with red dates paste, and black pork.

According to Ge, sales of qingtuan at his store doubled compared to last year. The two-pack is sold for 12 to 15 yuan, while the four-pack ranges from 20 to 30 yuan.

Even though innovations continue to increase, the old taste is still the strongest. A report by Shangpu Consulting Group in February showed that 67 percent of consumers were willing to recommend qingtuan. Traditional taste is the top choice with 43 percent, followed by innovative variants 22 percent, and low sugar options 16 percent.

Qingtuan itself has a long history in Chinese culture. This food is said to have existed for more than 2,000 years since the Spring and Autumn Period. In the past, qingtuan was used as an offering to ancestors. In its development, this food turned into a seasonal snack closely related to Qingming.

In Shanghai, the old brand Xinghualou, which has been around for more than 170 years, still sells classic flavors such as red beans and salted eggs with pork fat. At the same time, the brand is also adding new fillings such as pork, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, as well as a red bean version with 25 percent less sugar.

Young consumers are also expanding the qingtuan market. Yang Xian, a 24-year-old student from Nanjing who is now studying in Beijing, said he often bought qingtuan to share with his roommates and uploaded it to social media if it felt interesting. The salty cheese variant from Hema is his favorite.

In the midst of changing tastes and ways of selling, the appeal of qingtuan still rests on the same things: tradition, season, and memories it brings.