Suzhou locals stick to the philosophy that one must eat seasonal food in every season. What are the must-eat spring culinary delights in April? Let’s take a look.
Sauce-braised Pork
People in Suzhou usually eat one kind of meat each season. The spring meat is cherry red braised pork in sauce. It is tender and crispy in texture with the greens beneath the meat on the plate.
Luosi
As an old saying goes, “A snail during Qingming is as fat as a goose”. The meat inside the spiral shells of luosi, or river snails, is believed to be at its most succulent at this time of year.
Dark Sleeper
It is a good time to relish the dark sleeper when rapeseed flowers are in full bloom. The common dishes are stewed dark sleeper with egg and braised dark sleeper in soy sauce.
Spring Leafy Greens
There are many spring dishes cooked with green leafy vegetables, such as tender shoots of Chinese wolfberry, Shepherd’s purse, and pea.
Bok Choy Shoots
The best time for foodies to try this leafy vegetable lasts for half a month. Simply stir it to make a tasty dish. It is tender with a hint of sweetness.
Broad Bean
Broad beans are one of the locals’ favorite spring vegetables. They are juicy and sweet. Broad beans grown in Suzhou are not available till late April and early May.
Qingtuan
Qingtuan, or green glutinous rice ball with stuffing, is a seasonal delicacy during the Qingming Festival. Its flour wrapping gives off fresh and sweet scents of green grass. The fillings include red bean paste, sesame paste, egg yolk meat floss, and dried vegetables, sweet or salty.
Recommendations: Shenji Qingtuan沈记青团, Wen Kui Zhai文魁斋
Pine Pollen Rice Ball
When the masson pines put forth their blossoms before or after Qingming, it is time to gather pine pollen. The fillings include red bean paste and sesame. Coated with golden pine pollen, the rice balls have a distinctive flavour.
Recommendations: Jin Shui Lou近水楼, Ming Yue Lou明月楼