Artemisia Cake

Artemisia Cake

　　Artemisia Cake is a distinctive and beloved food enjoyed by people in many areas of Changde City. Every March, locals gather the tender leaves of Artemisia (known locally as "Baba Herb"), wash them, then mix them with sticky rice flour and glutinous rice flour. The mixture is steamed in a pot over high heat, pounded in a stone mortar until smooth, and then blended with an appropriate amount of sesame and chili sauce. The dough is then cut into small pieces, placed in wooden molds carved with various auspicious patterns, and shaped into flat, round cakes. Artemisia Cake has a very sticky texture and a deliciously sweet taste. On the third day of the third lunar month each year, every household makes Artemisia Cakes while singing: “On the third day of the third moon, snakes come out of their holes; we make cakes to plug their eyes.” (Changde)