Sometimes around Qing
Ming/Tomb-sweeping festival, the Chinese will collect some Chinese Mugwort (艾草)to be hanging around the
door, which is believed to be able to chase away unwelcome energy. It is also
the main ingredient for the Chinese steamed cake Ai Tuan/Qing Tuan (艾团/青团)eate at or around the
tomb sweeping festival.
My mom discovered a big
patch of wild mugwort in the woods near my house during her visit few years
back, she will bring back a bag full of the wild mugwort and boiled it down to
be used for bath when she was feeling under the weather.
I have been meaning to
make Qing Tuan by using the young wild mugwort nearby this year, since it is a
wild plant and I want to make sure it is 100% safe to be eaten, I have done
some research and found out that the wild mugwort near my house is the species
Artemisia vulgaris, or common mugwort.
几年前我妈来美探亲时发现我家附近的树林里有一大片的野生艾草,她后来感冒的时候还摘了好些回来煮水泡澡。
清明前后是艾草春季出土的时节,我摘了一大包回家取嫩叶做青团,剩下的煮水给咳嗽的俊宝泡澡。