The Wufan Park in Jinhua introduces the unique wumi qingmingguo. [Photo/Tide News]

The Wufan Park in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, is currently seeing a delightful fusion of traditional culinary delights and innovative concepts with the introduction of the wumi qingmingguo, Tide News reported on March 5.

Qingmingguo is also referred to as qingtuan, or green sticky rice dumplings infused with mugwort, and is often eaten during Qingming Festival. Wumi rice, or wufan, is a kind of purple-black glutinous rice and its preparation methods are an intangible cultural heritage item of Jinhua.

Li Guihua, owner of Wufan Park and an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, introduced the innovation in the tastes. The salty qingmingguo combines local specialties like Jinhua Liangtouwu pork, pickled vegetables, fresh bamboo shoots, and white dried bean curd, while the sweet variation features a unique stuffing made from local fingered citron, enveloped in wumi.

Traditional flavors like red bean and sesame are also offered, catering to a range of palates.

Li emphasized the importance of blending tradition with innovation to appeal to the evolving tastes of today's youth. The craftsmanship behind the delicacy involves soaking glutinous rice in the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb, also called wufan tree, and kneading it with blanched mugwort, which requires skill and patience.

The result is a chewier texture with a subtle fragrance that lingers on the palate, offering a delightful sensory experience.

Additionally, Li's efforts extend beyond culinary creations as he prepares to establish an intangible cultural heritage workshop for educational purposes, aiming to pass on the rich history and cultural significance of wufan to future generations.