Flavors of Taiwan: Qing Ming Festival

Celebrate the start of Spring with Qing Ming Jie! The Qing Ming Festival is one of the major festivals in Chinese culture and is celebrated on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox. It translates to “Clear and Bright,” signifying the start of Spring. On this day, people gather with family to pay respects to their ancestors by spending the day cleaning family mausoleums, paying homage to ancestors, and bringing a picnic with "non-cook" foods. 

Two of the most important dishes to bring on this day are Grass Kueh, a savory dumpling with Hakka origins, and Taiwanese-Style Lumpia. Grass Kueh dough features grasses that are plentiful at the onset of Spring, like mugwort and stinging nettle. Lumpia, literally translated to Soft Cookie, was Henry’s grandmother's go-to for all large family gatherings. It is a soft, thin-crepe wrap filled with a mixture of savory, cooked vegetables, meat, egg, tofu, and a signature sweet ground peanut powder. 

MENU

Grass Kueh - Glutinous Rice Dumpling filled with Daikon, Mushroom, and Shallots

Taiwanese-Style Fresh Lumpia - Crepe Roll with Savory Filling and Peanuts

Served with Lu Wei, or Braised Kombu, Tofu & Eggs

Allergens: Egg, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, Wheat. Concerns? Email info@18reasons.org.

Learn more about Henry here.

Review our registration and cancellation policies here.

Photo credit: Henry Hsu